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The Republic of Texas is a separatist group which claims that the annexation of Texas by the United States was illegal and that Texas remains an independent nation under occupation. They claimed to reinstate a provisional government in December 1995. The group has almost no support among Texans, and there are no politically significant independence movements in Texas.
The group has had several conflicts with the United States government, mainly over the group's assertion that because the United States' government of Texas is illegal, it has no right to collect taxes. As the group's "provisional government" has also issued "bonds" which some seemingly unsophisticated investors apparently thought were legitimate bonds issued by the state (rather than the "republic") of Texas, some of the organizers have been accused of securities fraud.
In the late 1990s, due to infighting, the group split into three different movements. Eventually, the two groups that supported nonviolence rejoined into the current Republic of Texas. The violent members (those who had run-ins with the US government) have been expelled from the group, and a number of them are serving prison terms.
The Republic of Texas functions on three levels.
On the cultural level, they remind people of Texas' rich history and culture. Historically, Texas has been very open to people of other nationalities. In fact, Texas was anti-slavery until it was admitted into the union as a slave state. Also on the cultural front, they seek to revive Texas Independence Day celebrations and promote Texas nationalism.
On the economic level, the Republic of Texas encourages people to start their own businesses in Texas, or at least work for Texas-based companies. They also encourage people to buy products that are made in Texas. The movement is also minting its own silver-based currency (Texas Shekels). This is to combat what they call "the worthless Federal Reserve Note."
On the political level, the Republic of Texas is backing down on its total separatist leanings, and are working inside the current system to fight for what they want. The Republic is against the two-party system, in which the two major parties hold the power to get threatening third parties taken off ballots. The Republic endorses candidates who support Texas' independence and is starting a Texas Independence political party.
The Republic of Texas also has established a capitol building in Overton, Texas. It is the center of operations and the place in which the interim government is run. This government is set up more as a model than anything else. Their reasoning is that, if Texas was suddenly independent for whatever reason, they had something in place to run the country. This government is based on that of the Republic of Texas' pre-statehood government.
In 2003, the Republic of Texas published The Brief by the Republic of Texas: the Republic of Texas vs. the United States and the State of Texas (published by TGS Services), a 192-page book outlining over 2800 pages of evidence for Texas' independence. The book goes into depth with primary sources to argue their case, both from the standpoints of Texas being a rightful state and Texas being a nation held hostage, depending on the reader's opinion.
In January of 2004, a man in prison in Aspen, Colorado claimed that the state of Colorado had no jurisdiction to extradite him to California on a probation warrant, on the grounds that he was a citizen of the Republic of Texas. He claimed that the sliver of land which contains Aspen was a part of the original Republic of Texas and, as such, he was not a citizen of the United States. His claim was rejected by the courts.
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