Journalist Michael 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 wandered 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 creation of Texas. From Stephen Austin in the Rangers' early days through the Civil War, the first eighty years of the Texas Rangers were nothing less than phenomenal, and their efforts set the foundation for the Rangers who keep Texas safe today.