Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas

Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas

Author: Francis Galan

Publisher:

Published: 2020-06

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 9781623498788

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In 1721, Spain established a fort and mission on the Texas-Louisiana border, or frontera, to stem the tide of people and goods flowing back and forth between northern New Spain and French Louisiana. Named in part after the indigenous Adai people, the complex of the presidio (Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes) and the mission (San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes) became collectively known as Los Adaes. It was the capital of Tejas for New Spain. In the first book devoted to Los Adaes, historian Francis X. Galan traces the roots of the current US-Mexico border to the colonial history of this all but forgotten Spanish fort and mission. He demonstrates that, despite efforts to the contrary, Spain could neither fully block the penetration of smuggled goods and settlers into Texas from Louisiana nor could it successfully convert the Native Americans to Christianity and the Spanish economic system. In the aftermath of the transfer of Louisiana from France to Spain in 1762, Spain chose to shutter the fort and mission. The settlers, or Adaeseños, were forced to march to San Antonio in 1773. Some returned to East Texas soon after to establish Nacogdoches. Others remained in San Antonio, the new capital of Spanish Texas, and settled on lands distributed from the secularized Mission San Antonio de Valero, a mission now widely known as the Alamo. Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas makes a major contribution to Texas history by providing a richer perspective on the shifting borders of colonial powers.


Book Synopsis Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas by : Francis Galan

Download or read book Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas written by Francis Galan and published by . This book was released on 2020-06 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1721, Spain established a fort and mission on the Texas-Louisiana border, or frontera, to stem the tide of people and goods flowing back and forth between northern New Spain and French Louisiana. Named in part after the indigenous Adai people, the complex of the presidio (Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes) and the mission (San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes) became collectively known as Los Adaes. It was the capital of Tejas for New Spain. In the first book devoted to Los Adaes, historian Francis X. Galan traces the roots of the current US-Mexico border to the colonial history of this all but forgotten Spanish fort and mission. He demonstrates that, despite efforts to the contrary, Spain could neither fully block the penetration of smuggled goods and settlers into Texas from Louisiana nor could it successfully convert the Native Americans to Christianity and the Spanish economic system. In the aftermath of the transfer of Louisiana from France to Spain in 1762, Spain chose to shutter the fort and mission. The settlers, or Adaeseños, were forced to march to San Antonio in 1773. Some returned to East Texas soon after to establish Nacogdoches. Others remained in San Antonio, the new capital of Spanish Texas, and settled on lands distributed from the secularized Mission San Antonio de Valero, a mission now widely known as the Alamo. Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas makes a major contribution to Texas history by providing a richer perspective on the shifting borders of colonial powers.

Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas

Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas

Author: Francis X. Galan

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2020-09-25

Total Pages: 468

ISBN-13: 1623498791

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In 1721, Spain established a fort and mission on the Texas-Louisiana border, or frontera, to stem the tide of people and goods flowing back and forth between northern New Spain and French Louisiana. Named in part after the indigenous Adai people, the complex of the presidio (Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes) and the mission (San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes) became collectively known as Los Adaes. It was the capital of Tejas for New Spain. In the first book devoted to Los Adaes, historian Francis X. Galan traces the roots of the current US-Mexico border to the colonial history of this all but forgotten Spanish fort and mission. He demonstrates that, despite efforts to the contrary, Spain could neither fully block the penetration of smuggled goods and settlers into Texas from Louisiana nor could it successfully convert the Native Americans to Christianity and the Spanish economic system. In the aftermath of the transfer of Louisiana from France to Spain in 1762, Spain chose to shutter the fort and mission. The settlers, or Adaeseños, were forced to march to San Antonio in 1773. Some returned to East Texas soon after to establish Nacogdoches. Others remained in San Antonio, the new capital of Spanish Texas, and settled on lands distributed from the secularized Mission San Antonio de Valero, a mission now widely known as the Alamo. Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas makes a major contribution to Texas history by providing a richer perspective on the shifting borders of colonial powers.


Book Synopsis Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas by : Francis X. Galan

Download or read book Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas written by Francis X. Galan and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-25 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1721, Spain established a fort and mission on the Texas-Louisiana border, or frontera, to stem the tide of people and goods flowing back and forth between northern New Spain and French Louisiana. Named in part after the indigenous Adai people, the complex of the presidio (Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes) and the mission (San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes) became collectively known as Los Adaes. It was the capital of Tejas for New Spain. In the first book devoted to Los Adaes, historian Francis X. Galan traces the roots of the current US-Mexico border to the colonial history of this all but forgotten Spanish fort and mission. He demonstrates that, despite efforts to the contrary, Spain could neither fully block the penetration of smuggled goods and settlers into Texas from Louisiana nor could it successfully convert the Native Americans to Christianity and the Spanish economic system. In the aftermath of the transfer of Louisiana from France to Spain in 1762, Spain chose to shutter the fort and mission. The settlers, or Adaeseños, were forced to march to San Antonio in 1773. Some returned to East Texas soon after to establish Nacogdoches. Others remained in San Antonio, the new capital of Spanish Texas, and settled on lands distributed from the secularized Mission San Antonio de Valero, a mission now widely known as the Alamo. Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas makes a major contribution to Texas history by providing a richer perspective on the shifting borders of colonial powers.

Spanish Expeditions into Texas, 1689–1768

Spanish Expeditions into Texas, 1689–1768

Author: William C. Foster

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 0292793138

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Based on official Spanish expedition diaries, a fascinating account of the daily routes taken and the Indigenous tribes, terrain, and wildlife encountered. Mapping old trails has a romantic allure at least as great as the difficulty involved in doing it. In this book, William Foster produces the first highly accurate maps of the eleven Spanish expeditions from northeastern Mexico into what is now East Texas during the years 1689 to 1768. Foster draws upon the detailed diaries that each expedition kept of its route, cross-checking the journals among themselves and against previously unused eighteenth-century Spanish maps, modern detailed topographic maps, aerial photographs, and on-site inspections. From these sources emerges a clear picture of where the Spanish explorers actually passed through Texas. This information, which corrects many previous misinterpretations, will be widely valuable. Old names of rivers and landforms will be of interest to geographers. Anthropologists and archaeologists will find new information on encounters with some 139 named Indigenous tribes. Botanists and zoologists will see changes in the distribution of flora and fauna with increasing European habitation, and climatologists will learn more about the “Little Ice Age” along the Rio Grande. “Foster offers readers as accurate an estimate as could ever be hoped for for the eleven routes as whole.” —The Journal of American History “Foster does an excellent job sorting out his predecessors’ fallacious interpretations of the significance and location of certain routes.” —Colonial Latin American Historical Review “To have a single authoritative source of these early expeditions [is] enormously useful . . . Foster’s work [is] the most authoritative on the subject.” —David J. Weber, Southern Methodist University


Book Synopsis Spanish Expeditions into Texas, 1689–1768 by : William C. Foster

Download or read book Spanish Expeditions into Texas, 1689–1768 written by William C. Foster and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on official Spanish expedition diaries, a fascinating account of the daily routes taken and the Indigenous tribes, terrain, and wildlife encountered. Mapping old trails has a romantic allure at least as great as the difficulty involved in doing it. In this book, William Foster produces the first highly accurate maps of the eleven Spanish expeditions from northeastern Mexico into what is now East Texas during the years 1689 to 1768. Foster draws upon the detailed diaries that each expedition kept of its route, cross-checking the journals among themselves and against previously unused eighteenth-century Spanish maps, modern detailed topographic maps, aerial photographs, and on-site inspections. From these sources emerges a clear picture of where the Spanish explorers actually passed through Texas. This information, which corrects many previous misinterpretations, will be widely valuable. Old names of rivers and landforms will be of interest to geographers. Anthropologists and archaeologists will find new information on encounters with some 139 named Indigenous tribes. Botanists and zoologists will see changes in the distribution of flora and fauna with increasing European habitation, and climatologists will learn more about the “Little Ice Age” along the Rio Grande. “Foster offers readers as accurate an estimate as could ever be hoped for for the eleven routes as whole.” —The Journal of American History “Foster does an excellent job sorting out his predecessors’ fallacious interpretations of the significance and location of certain routes.” —Colonial Latin American Historical Review “To have a single authoritative source of these early expeditions [is] enormously useful . . . Foster’s work [is] the most authoritative on the subject.” —David J. Weber, Southern Methodist University

The City in Texas

The City in Texas

Author: David G. McComb

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2015-02-15

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0292767463

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"This book is the first history of cities in Texas, covering the earliest days of Spanish-Mexican towns, the Republic era to about 1940, and metropolitan Texas to the present. Not only is this book a first for Texas, but there seem to be no equivalent books for any other states, so the author has developed new concepts like 'the first road frontier' and the 'rupture' caused by the railroads. McComb emphasizes how railroads and related innovations such as the telegraph and the clock facilitated in urban development"--Provided by publisher.


Book Synopsis The City in Texas by : David G. McComb

Download or read book The City in Texas written by David G. McComb and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2015-02-15 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book is the first history of cities in Texas, covering the earliest days of Spanish-Mexican towns, the Republic era to about 1940, and metropolitan Texas to the present. Not only is this book a first for Texas, but there seem to be no equivalent books for any other states, so the author has developed new concepts like 'the first road frontier' and the 'rupture' caused by the railroads. McComb emphasizes how railroads and related innovations such as the telegraph and the clock facilitated in urban development"--Provided by publisher.

The Global Refuge

The Global Refuge

Author: Owen Stanwood

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2020-01-20

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0190264748

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Huguenot refugees were everywhere in the early modern world. French Protestant exiles fleeing persecution following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, they scattered around Europe, North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, and even remote islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Global Refuge provides the first truly international history of the Huguenot diaspora. The story begins with dreams of Eden, as beleaguered religious migrants sought suitable retreats to build perfect societies far from the political storms of Europe. In order to build these communities, however, the Huguenots needed patrons, forcing them to navigate the world of empires. The refugees promoted themselves as the chosen people of empire, religious heroes who also possessed key skills that could strengthen the British and Dutch states. As a result, French Protestants settled around the world: they tried to make silk in South Carolina; they planted vineyards in South Africa; and they peopled vulnerable frontiers from New England to Suriname. This embrace of empire led to a gradual abandonment of the Huguenots' earlier utopian ambitions and ability to maintain their languages and churches in preparation for an eventual return to France. For over a century they learned that only by blending in and by mastering foreign institutions could they prosper. While the Huguenots never managed to find a utopia or to realize their imperial sponsors' visions of profits, The Global Refuge demonstrates how this diasporic community helped shape the first age of globalization and influenced the reception of future refugee populations.


Book Synopsis The Global Refuge by : Owen Stanwood

Download or read book The Global Refuge written by Owen Stanwood and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020-01-20 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Huguenot refugees were everywhere in the early modern world. French Protestant exiles fleeing persecution following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, they scattered around Europe, North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, and even remote islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Global Refuge provides the first truly international history of the Huguenot diaspora. The story begins with dreams of Eden, as beleaguered religious migrants sought suitable retreats to build perfect societies far from the political storms of Europe. In order to build these communities, however, the Huguenots needed patrons, forcing them to navigate the world of empires. The refugees promoted themselves as the chosen people of empire, religious heroes who also possessed key skills that could strengthen the British and Dutch states. As a result, French Protestants settled around the world: they tried to make silk in South Carolina; they planted vineyards in South Africa; and they peopled vulnerable frontiers from New England to Suriname. This embrace of empire led to a gradual abandonment of the Huguenots' earlier utopian ambitions and ability to maintain their languages and churches in preparation for an eventual return to France. For over a century they learned that only by blending in and by mastering foreign institutions could they prosper. While the Huguenots never managed to find a utopia or to realize their imperial sponsors' visions of profits, The Global Refuge demonstrates how this diasporic community helped shape the first age of globalization and influenced the reception of future refugee populations.

Trammel's Trace

Trammel's Trace

Author: Gary L. Pinkerton

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 1623494699

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Trammel’s Trace tells the story of a borderlands smuggler and an important passageway into early Texas. Trammel’s Trace, named for Nicholas Trammell, was the first route from the United States into the northern boundaries of Spanish Texas. From the Great Bend of the Red River it intersected with El Camino Real de los Tejas in Nacogdoches. By the early nineteenth century, Trammel’s Trace was largely a smuggler’s trail that delivered horses and contraband into the region. It was a microcosm of the migration, lawlessness, and conflict that defined the period. By the 1820s, as Mexico gained independence from Spain, smuggling declined as Anglo immigration became the primary use of the trail. Familiar names such as Sam Houston, David Crockett, and James Bowie joined throngs of immigrants making passage along Trammel’s Trace. Indeed, Nicholas Trammell opened trading posts on the Red River and near Nacogdoches, hoping to claim a piece of Austin’s new colony. Austin denied Trammell’s entry, however, fearing his poor reputation would usher in a new wave of smuggling and lawlessness. By 1826, Trammell was pushed out of Texas altogether and retreated back to Arkansas Even so, as author Gary L. Pinkerton concludes, Trammell was “more opportunist than outlaw and made the most of disorder.”


Book Synopsis Trammel's Trace by : Gary L. Pinkerton

Download or read book Trammel's Trace written by Gary L. Pinkerton and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trammel’s Trace tells the story of a borderlands smuggler and an important passageway into early Texas. Trammel’s Trace, named for Nicholas Trammell, was the first route from the United States into the northern boundaries of Spanish Texas. From the Great Bend of the Red River it intersected with El Camino Real de los Tejas in Nacogdoches. By the early nineteenth century, Trammel’s Trace was largely a smuggler’s trail that delivered horses and contraband into the region. It was a microcosm of the migration, lawlessness, and conflict that defined the period. By the 1820s, as Mexico gained independence from Spain, smuggling declined as Anglo immigration became the primary use of the trail. Familiar names such as Sam Houston, David Crockett, and James Bowie joined throngs of immigrants making passage along Trammel’s Trace. Indeed, Nicholas Trammell opened trading posts on the Red River and near Nacogdoches, hoping to claim a piece of Austin’s new colony. Austin denied Trammell’s entry, however, fearing his poor reputation would usher in a new wave of smuggling and lawlessness. By 1826, Trammell was pushed out of Texas altogether and retreated back to Arkansas Even so, as author Gary L. Pinkerton concludes, Trammell was “more opportunist than outlaw and made the most of disorder.”

Essays on the French Revolution

Essays on the French Revolution

Author: Steven G. Reinhardt

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 9780890964989

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Clarke Garrett examines the differing responses of Catholics and Protestants and the resulting disturbances. Roderick Phillips describes the wide variation in provincial response to the revolutionary assembly's family reform measures. He traces the different reactions of urban and rural residents to such legal measures as liberalization of divorces, secularization of birth, death, and marriage registrations, and inheritance reform. Peasants in central France were already engaged in total revolution when Joseph Fouche arrived there in late 1793. Nancy Fitch argues that Fouche was formed by his encounter with indigenous peasant radicalism as much as the peasants were influenced by his rhetoric of a new political culture. Donald Sutherland, summarizing scholarly debate on the subject, argues that, in the final analysis, the Revolution itself was tragically and profoundly alien to many French men and women in 1789.


Book Synopsis Essays on the French Revolution by : Steven G. Reinhardt

Download or read book Essays on the French Revolution written by Steven G. Reinhardt and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clarke Garrett examines the differing responses of Catholics and Protestants and the resulting disturbances. Roderick Phillips describes the wide variation in provincial response to the revolutionary assembly's family reform measures. He traces the different reactions of urban and rural residents to such legal measures as liberalization of divorces, secularization of birth, death, and marriage registrations, and inheritance reform. Peasants in central France were already engaged in total revolution when Joseph Fouche arrived there in late 1793. Nancy Fitch argues that Fouche was formed by his encounter with indigenous peasant radicalism as much as the peasants were influenced by his rhetoric of a new political culture. Donald Sutherland, summarizing scholarly debate on the subject, argues that, in the final analysis, the Revolution itself was tragically and profoundly alien to many French men and women in 1789.

Texas Almanac, 2000-2001 (Millennium Edition)

Texas Almanac, 2000-2001 (Millennium Edition)

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Texas Almanac, 2000-2001 (Millennium Edition) by :

Download or read book Texas Almanac, 2000-2001 (Millennium Edition) written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Transatlantic History

Transatlantic History

Author: Steven G. Reinhardt

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9781585444861

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The transatlantic world has had immense influence on the direction of world history. The six illuminating studies in Transatlantic History address cultural exchanges and intercontinental developments that contribute to our modern understanding of global communities. Transatlantic history encompasses a variety of scholarly problems and approaches from multiple disciplines, and volume editors Steven G. Reinhardt and Dennis P. Reinhartz have assembled a collection of essays that reflect the diversity within the field. Introducing the book, William McNeill provides a unifying overview of the concept and practice of transatlantic history by placing it within the larger context of world history. The chapter authors bring distinctive styles and methods to the investigation of the processes of interaction and adaptation among Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans. Their studies range from the Spanish imperial crisis in the 1600s to the urbanization of Europe and the Americas, from graphic portrayals of the Atlantic world to the settlement of Ireland, America, and South Africa and the recent diaspora of West Africans. Readers interested in world history, communication, and cultural studies will find Transatlantic History provocative and challenging as it convincingly argues for the importance of this new field.


Book Synopsis Transatlantic History by : Steven G. Reinhardt

Download or read book Transatlantic History written by Steven G. Reinhardt and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The transatlantic world has had immense influence on the direction of world history. The six illuminating studies in Transatlantic History address cultural exchanges and intercontinental developments that contribute to our modern understanding of global communities. Transatlantic history encompasses a variety of scholarly problems and approaches from multiple disciplines, and volume editors Steven G. Reinhardt and Dennis P. Reinhartz have assembled a collection of essays that reflect the diversity within the field. Introducing the book, William McNeill provides a unifying overview of the concept and practice of transatlantic history by placing it within the larger context of world history. The chapter authors bring distinctive styles and methods to the investigation of the processes of interaction and adaptation among Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans. Their studies range from the Spanish imperial crisis in the 1600s to the urbanization of Europe and the Americas, from graphic portrayals of the Atlantic world to the settlement of Ireland, America, and South Africa and the recent diaspora of West Africans. Readers interested in world history, communication, and cultural studies will find Transatlantic History provocative and challenging as it convincingly argues for the importance of this new field.

The Last Knight

The Last Knight

Author: Jose Antonio Lopez

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2008-02-19

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 9781462822683

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The Last Knight The Story of Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe (1774-1841), a Texas Hero (By Jose Antonio Lopez) Once there was a magical land called Tejas. Here is where our Spanish-Mexican ancestors settled to raise families, build their homes, and ranching communities. They were a rare breed of men and women; a hearty stock, strong of both mind and body. They tamed what historian Jerry Thompson calls the Wild and Vivid Land of South Texas. In so doing, they invented the ranching and cowboy phenomena. However, all was not well. Spain ruled Tejas with oppressive and unjust laws. In response for direction to rid America of European colonial rule, several great American-born leaders answered the call to duty during those turbulent times of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Among these were George Washington, Simon Bolivar, and Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe. While most people may have heard of the first two, few are familiar with Don Bernardo. The Last Knight is the story of this great Texas hero. To begin with, Don Bernardos life has the drama, action, and intrigue of a Hollywood movie, but it is a true story. He was born in Revilla (now Guerrero), on the southern bank of the Rio Grande back when the Rio was just another South Texas river. (The shape of Texas was very different than it is today.) As a young man, Don Bernardo decided to get involved in bringing social change in his community and throughout Texas and Mexico. It was in this restless period of early Texas history that Don Bernardo volunteered to help Father Miguel Hidalgo in his struggle to gain Mexicos independence from Spain. That is why September 16th is today celebrated in Texas. Don Bernardo was appointed a Lt Colonel in the Republican Army. After a trip to the U.S. to seek help and volunteers, he began his revolution in Nacogdoches. That the struggle began here in the Louisiana border was very significant in a historical sense. Nacogdoches and Los Adaes represented the eastern boundary of New Spain. As a matter of fact, Los Adaes is the first capital of Texas. On April 17, 1813, he wrote Texas first Declaration of Independence and its first constitution. He won a series of battles. He became the first President-Protector (governor) of the Independent State of Texas. However, his hope of victory over the Spanish forces vanished quickly, when he was relieved of command and forced to move to Natchitoches, Louisiana in exile. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Don Bernardo was asked to return to his homeland. He did so in 1824. Upon arriving, he became the governor of the new state of Tamaulipas. He also was appointed to several military posts, including Commandant General of Tamaulipas and Commandant General of the Eastern Interior States (Texas, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo Leon.) He died in 1841 after an illustrious career as a rancher, military leader, Indian fighter, gifted communicator, skilled diplomat, governor of two states (Texas and Tamaulipas), and commandant general of four states. He was a man who possessed rare leadership qualities. We owe our gratitude to this great hero who shared in the first vision of a free and independent Texas.


Book Synopsis The Last Knight by : Jose Antonio Lopez

Download or read book The Last Knight written by Jose Antonio Lopez and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2008-02-19 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Last Knight The Story of Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe (1774-1841), a Texas Hero (By Jose Antonio Lopez) Once there was a magical land called Tejas. Here is where our Spanish-Mexican ancestors settled to raise families, build their homes, and ranching communities. They were a rare breed of men and women; a hearty stock, strong of both mind and body. They tamed what historian Jerry Thompson calls the Wild and Vivid Land of South Texas. In so doing, they invented the ranching and cowboy phenomena. However, all was not well. Spain ruled Tejas with oppressive and unjust laws. In response for direction to rid America of European colonial rule, several great American-born leaders answered the call to duty during those turbulent times of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Among these were George Washington, Simon Bolivar, and Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe. While most people may have heard of the first two, few are familiar with Don Bernardo. The Last Knight is the story of this great Texas hero. To begin with, Don Bernardos life has the drama, action, and intrigue of a Hollywood movie, but it is a true story. He was born in Revilla (now Guerrero), on the southern bank of the Rio Grande back when the Rio was just another South Texas river. (The shape of Texas was very different than it is today.) As a young man, Don Bernardo decided to get involved in bringing social change in his community and throughout Texas and Mexico. It was in this restless period of early Texas history that Don Bernardo volunteered to help Father Miguel Hidalgo in his struggle to gain Mexicos independence from Spain. That is why September 16th is today celebrated in Texas. Don Bernardo was appointed a Lt Colonel in the Republican Army. After a trip to the U.S. to seek help and volunteers, he began his revolution in Nacogdoches. That the struggle began here in the Louisiana border was very significant in a historical sense. Nacogdoches and Los Adaes represented the eastern boundary of New Spain. As a matter of fact, Los Adaes is the first capital of Texas. On April 17, 1813, he wrote Texas first Declaration of Independence and its first constitution. He won a series of battles. He became the first President-Protector (governor) of the Independent State of Texas. However, his hope of victory over the Spanish forces vanished quickly, when he was relieved of command and forced to move to Natchitoches, Louisiana in exile. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Don Bernardo was asked to return to his homeland. He did so in 1824. Upon arriving, he became the governor of the new state of Tamaulipas. He also was appointed to several military posts, including Commandant General of Tamaulipas and Commandant General of the Eastern Interior States (Texas, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo Leon.) He died in 1841 after an illustrious career as a rancher, military leader, Indian fighter, gifted communicator, skilled diplomat, governor of two states (Texas and Tamaulipas), and commandant general of four states. He was a man who possessed rare leadership qualities. We owe our gratitude to this great hero who shared in the first vision of a free and independent Texas.