Key Figures, Events, and Concepts in Texas and Mexican History

Herbert E. Bolton

Historian who studied Spanish Borderlands

Three frontier corridors in New Spain

California, New Mexico, Texas

José de Escandón

Governor who founded Nuevo Santander

Isleños

Canary Islanders who settled San Antonio in 1731

Father Miguel Hidalgo

Priest who started Mexican independence with Grito de Dolores

Agustín de Iturbide

Leader who made Mexico independent, became Agustín I

Father Margil de Jesús

Franciscan missionary important in Texas missions

Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara

Led the Republican Army of the North in Texas

Col. Félix de Calleja

Defeated Hidalgo's army near Guadalajara

Alonso de León

Spanish explorer who led expeditions into Texas

Olmecs

First major civilization in Mexico

Maya contributions to math and writing

Calendar and hieroglyphic writing

Tenochtitlán

Aztec capital city on a lake island

Pueblo Revolt

Native uprising in 1680 that pushed Spanish out of New Mexico

Plains tribes in Texas

Comanche, Apache, Kiowa

Comanche

Powerful horse warriors who controlled Texas Plains

Spanish settlements in Texas

San Antonio and Los Adaes

Purpose of missions

Convert Natives to Christianity and settle them

Purpose of presidios

Forts to protect missions and settlers

Cabildo

Spanish town government

Difference between rancho and hacienda

Rancho = small farm, Hacienda = large estate

Saltillo and Monterrey

Famous for trade fairs (ferias)

Los Adaes

Eastern Texas capital to guard against French

San Antonio in 1718

Mission San Antonio and presidio founded

La Salle

French explorer who built Fort St. Louis in Texas

El Paso Valley, 1680

Area with presidio, missions, and towns after Pueblo Revolt

Diezmos

Church tithes, 10% tax on wealth

Alcabala

Sales tax of 4-6%

Spanish settlers farming in Texas

Used acequias (irrigation canals)

Sitio

Large land grant for ranching

Mule-train transport

Method ranchers used to move livestock to markets

José Vásquez Borrego

Rancher from Coahuila, big hacienda at Dolores

Bourbon Reforms

Spanish changes to centralize power and raise money

Intendancy system

Large districts run by officials reporting to the crown

Reduction of Church power in New Spain

Expelled Jesuits and secularized missions

Diezmero

Tax collector in New Spain

Viceroys in New Spain

62 viceroys ruled in 300 years

Audiencias

High courts in New Spain

Corregidores

Local Spanish officials in towns

Spain colonization of Nuevo Santander

To block English and expand empire

Royal Commission in Nuevo Santander

Investigated complaints and gave land grants

Battle of Medina

Spanish army crushed Texas rebels in 1813

Bloody Texas

Time of harsh retribution after Battle of Medina

Pueblo Indians

Killed 25% of Spaniards during the Pueblo Revolt

Tejas

Caddo group, friendly trade and missions

Causes of the Mexican War of Independence

Criollo anger and Napoleon's invasion of Spain

Mexico's independence

Gained in 1821

Constitution of 1824

Gave Mexico a federal government like the U.S.

Centralists and federalists

Centralists wanted strong central gov., Federalists wanted states' power

Bourbon Reforms and independence movement

Angered criollos and weakened church support

Legacies of Spain in Texas

Language, ranching, Catholic religion

Spanish colonization influence on ranching and farming

Introduced cattle, sheep, acequias

Town governments (cabildos) in Texas society

Organized towns with Spanish laws

Cultural influences Spain left in Texas

Food and music

Military traditions Spain left in Texas

Presidios and militias