How does a scrappy republic protect itself from a certain invasion? It opens a legation in London. In 1842, the Republic of Texas set up shop here on St James's Street. It was a tactical move - a way to court British favor and keep the Mexican government at bay. The British even offered to guarantee Texas's borders, which sounds like a generous gesture, but it was really just a move to keep the United States from getting too big, too fast.
Texas was a tactical ally. It did not have the funds to stay independent forever, and the reality of the situation eventually caught up. When the republic became a state in 1845, the legations were shut down.
Today, you won't find a grand embassy. Instead, there is a bronze plaque on the north side of a building that also houses Berry Bros. & Rudd, a wine merchant that has been in place since 1698. It was put up in 1963 by the Anglo-Texan Society to mark the site of the legation for the ministers from the Republic of Texas to the Court of St. James from 1842 to 1845.
You can see the seal of the Republic of Texas at the top of the plaque. It marks a specific window of history where a new country tried to make a name for itself in the heart of the British capital.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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