Dallas first grabbed the national attention in 1839 when it hosted the Texas Centennial Exposition. Since then, the fascination with "Big D" has seldom flagged. If the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 cast a pall over the city, the success of the Dallas Cowboys and the popularity of the television series Dallas revived the image of a glitzy, hustling metropolis in the center of the Sunbelt.

In this overview, Hazel examines the city's roots, its development as a regional transportation center, and its growing pains as it entered the twentieth century. The narrative pays special attention to the role of ethnic groups in shaping Dallas and concludes with a look at today's city.