The Tidelands Controversy was a political dispute between the federal government and Texas over the ownership of submerged lands along the Gulf Coast. Texas claimed ownership of these lands, while the federal government argued that they belonged to the public domain. The controversy represented a major change in Texas politics because it led to the emergence of a conservative political movement in the state that opposed federal power and championed states' rights. The controversy also helped to shape the political careers of figures like Lyndon B. Johnson, who supported federal control of the tidelands, and Ralph Yarborough, who opposed it. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of federal ownership, but the controversy continued to influence Texas politics in the decades that followed.
