I've been reading James Michener's book by that name and it has been an eye opener. I know there are Texians on this board and I have lived there for a grand total of 8 months. The place is too rich for my blood. But reading the book I gained some impressions of Texas.
From the start it seemed like there were more scalawags per square mile in Texas than any other place this side of hell. Even the heroes weren't particularly heroic. Their chief indian foes, Karankawa, Apache and Cherokee, appear to have been the most savage of savages, and many of the white men fought fire with fire. In fine, they became as savage as the savages.
Texas was lost to the Church in part because the priests and bishops refused to go there and in part because the Protestants deliberately infiltrated it. There were, of course, a few wandering priests, and Spanish law demanded that people be Catholic to get land, but that became nothing but a farce played out to get their "league and a labor". It surprised me to learn that for ten years Texas was its own country, quite independent of Mexico or the US. I gather that it doesn't surprise Texians though, as they still have the "go to hell" attitude of a country which never truly gave up that independence. It is the only state which dictated the terms of its inclusion in the states.
Texians think different from the rest of us in other ways, as well, perhaps because of the centuries of double standards they employed towards Indians, Mexicans and Blacks. Winning an argument by the simple expedient of shooting your opponent wasn't unheard of, nor even considered worthy of much note. Cleaning up the town by shooting those engaged in immoral activity was also found salubrious. One town even found a way to make immorality do double duty, by arresting the prostitutes one night and auctioning them off to pay their fines in the morning.
Under the circuмstances, I don't think we should be surprised that Texas produced such prime subjects as LBJ who used gov't funds, employees and equipment to renovate his ranch. Or the Bush family dynasty ranking among the world's elite in chicanery and slaughter. I have barely touched the surface here and I'm betting the rest of you can add to this many fold.
Correction: That is Comanche, not Cherokee. The Comanche chased the Apache off.