The History of American Country Two Step Dancing:

  The country two-step dance or the Texas two-step dance is a popular country dance in the U.S. Stemming from the foxtrot, the dance is very graceful which involves couples that move anti-clockwise around the dance floor taking quick, quick and then slow, slow steps at approximately 170 beats/min. (Gill) The two-step dance originated in 1889 when John Phillip Sousa composed the Washington Post March and it became popular casting aside the old glides, quadrilles and reels. The two-step came from the Waltz or Deux Tewmps and had a series of chasses, sideways or forward while skipping in every step. The dancers usually did a triple step or a quick-quick-slow, 2/4 or 4/4 times. A large amount of music has been composed on two-step or March but the popularity of Sousa marches declined after the sudden appearance of ragtime. However, some patterns of the two-step can still be seen in todays country Two-step. (The Two Step)
  Two-step dance has stemmed from the collegiate foxtrot of the 1920s, which has more bouncing steps unlike two-step’s sliding moves. (Gill) For almost fifty years, the two-step dance remained a footnote in the history books of dance or a way of describing a particular kind of dance. But this changed in the late 1910s when collegiate foxtrot was becoming popular. Two-step entered the square dance community in the 40’s and since it was associated with country dancing, it became known as the “Texas Two” or “Country Foxtrot.” But it is known as the “Texas Two-step dance” today because to have another version of the Foxtrot will create more confusion. (Two Step Dance)