From the earliest days of Texas’s independence, Belgium offered friendship to the new nation. In 1841, the Belgian government sent a representative to explore trade options with Texas. Later the two nations would develop a political relationship, each establishing an embassy in the other nation. Belgium had an embassy in Austin, and Texas had an embassy in Brussels.
Although Belgians were interested in establishing a colony in the new Republic of Texas, dispute over the Texas border with Mexico and the threats to Texas’s independence cooled Belgium’s interest.
Notable numbers of Belgian immigrants did not arrive in the state until after Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845. When Belgians arrived in Texas they brought with them their culture and made lasting impacts on the state.