1840 Austin passes its first laws regarding slavery including a curfew for slaves and forbidding any white man or Mexican from making associates of slaves.
1843 A visitor finds Austin largely uninhabited the streets filled with grass and weeds, and the capital the abode of bats, lizards, and stray cattle.
1846 Austin officially commences its role as capital of the state of Texas. A steamboat reaches Austin for the first time.
1849 Rutherford B. Hayes visits Austin and finds it an inconsiderable village, but with large expectations.
1853 The legislature convenes for the first time in the new permanent capital building.
1854 A vigilance committee expels most Hispanic residents from Austin. The vigilantes charged that Mexican-Americans associate too familiarly with slaves and instill false notions of freedom.
1861 Texas overwhelmingly votes in favor of secession, but the majority of Austin votes against it by a tally of 704 to 450.
1867 The black settlement of Masontown is founded on Cedar (4th) Street.
