Austin writer-historian Mike Cox explores the origin and rise of the famed Texas Rangers. Starting in 1821 with just a handful of men, the Rangers" first purpose was to keep settlers safe from the feared and gruesome Karankawa Indians, a cannibalistic tribe that wanderd the Texas territory. As the influx of settlers grew, the attacks increased, and it became clear that a larger, better trained force was necessary. Taking readers through the major social and political movements of the Texas territory and into its statehood, Cox shows how the Rangers were a defining force in the stabilization and the creation of Texas. From Stephen Austin in the early days through the Civil War, the first eighty years of the Texas Rangers were nothing less than phenomenal, and the efforts put forth in those days set the foundation for the Texas Rangers who keep Texas safe today.