I've just started "Lonestar Nation" and the last chapter discussed the Mexican government's decision to close/tighten the boarders and end emigration from the U.S.
One of the sad facts of the Texas Revolution is the situation in which many Tejanos found themselves. Some prominent, wealthy Tejano families suffered injustices from both Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's regime and later from American volunteers who came for the Texian's "cause" and arriving late to the war, knew little of the complex dynamic that existed between the American colonists and liberal Tejanos opposed to the centralist Santa Anna. These late-comers saw all Mexicans as the enemy and many Tejanos who had made common cause with the rebels suffered the same injustices from these American volunteers as those that had been forced upon them by the Mexican government. Great history here and many thanks for the article!
Thank you, Gary. I agree with you completely—and the “Mexicans as the enemy” is still with us today. Yesterday, my post about the Travis letters from the Alamo produced this comment: “All for nothing in the end. Look at how we’ve been over-run today.” Without getting into the politics of modern-day immigration and border security, the notion that we’ve been overrun can only be interpreted one way: that Mexicans (bad) have taken over Anglo (good) Texas. Whether in the 1830s and 1840s or in 2026, it’s just the old fashion sin of racism. And I’ll point out, Seguín as Mayor of San Antonio became crossways with Anglos to the point he was accused of betrayed the members of Santa Fe expedition of 1841 and conspiring in the Mexican invasion of Texas in 1842. In fear of his safety and that of his family, Seguín resigned his office and moved to Mexico in 1842, where he remained for six years. There’s a lot of complicated history here—and Seguín was in no way an angel throughout—but there was an undercurrent, as you say, of any Mexican, even Tejanos, of been looked upon as an enemy by many Anglo settlers.
Yes, I saw that comment yesterday. I was tempted to respond to that but did not. Racism has been with us a long time and unfortunately even seems to have gained a “second wind” lately. Texas remains a complicated state and a complicated state of mind, too. I sure am enjoying your work, Derrick!
I've just started "Lonestar Nation" and the last chapter discussed the Mexican government's decision to close/tighten the boarders and end emigration from the U.S.
One of the sad facts of the Texas Revolution is the situation in which many Tejanos found themselves. Some prominent, wealthy Tejano families suffered injustices from both Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's regime and later from American volunteers who came for the Texian's "cause" and arriving late to the war, knew little of the complex dynamic that existed between the American colonists and liberal Tejanos opposed to the centralist Santa Anna. These late-comers saw all Mexicans as the enemy and many Tejanos who had made common cause with the rebels suffered the same injustices from these American volunteers as those that had been forced upon them by the Mexican government. Great history here and many thanks for the article!
Thank you, Gary. I agree with you completely—and the “Mexicans as the enemy” is still with us today. Yesterday, my post about the Travis letters from the Alamo produced this comment: “All for nothing in the end. Look at how we’ve been over-run today.” Without getting into the politics of modern-day immigration and border security, the notion that we’ve been overrun can only be interpreted one way: that Mexicans (bad) have taken over Anglo (good) Texas. Whether in the 1830s and 1840s or in 2026, it’s just the old fashion sin of racism. And I’ll point out, Seguín as Mayor of San Antonio became crossways with Anglos to the point he was accused of betrayed the members of Santa Fe expedition of 1841 and conspiring in the Mexican invasion of Texas in 1842. In fear of his safety and that of his family, Seguín resigned his office and moved to Mexico in 1842, where he remained for six years. There’s a lot of complicated history here—and Seguín was in no way an angel throughout—but there was an undercurrent, as you say, of any Mexican, even Tejanos, of been looked upon as an enemy by many Anglo settlers.
Yes, I saw that comment yesterday. I was tempted to respond to that but did not. Racism has been with us a long time and unfortunately even seems to have gained a “second wind” lately. Texas remains a complicated state and a complicated state of mind, too. I sure am enjoying your work, Derrick!