Final answer:
Most major Texas cities, such as San Antonio, Houston, and Austin, were established next to waterways, which facilitated agriculture, trade, transport, and provided natural boundaries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most major Texas cities were established next to waterways, primarily rivers. This pattern follows a historical global tendency for the establishment of cities in locations providing essential resources for sustaining large populations and enabling trade. In the case of Texas, proximity to rivers allowed for agriculture, trade, transport, and strategic defense. Additionally, with Texas being a region fought over in its early history, the presence of rivers provided a natural boundary for the territory. Cities such as San Antonio grew around the San Antonio River, Houston near Buffalo Bayou, a tributary of the Gulf of Mexico, and Austin is located on the Colorado River of Texas. These waterways played a crucial role in the growth and development of these cities, much like how early settlements like Uruk and Anyang emerged close to water for their development and sustenance.