The
End
of
Spanish
Rule
From 1756 to 1763,
Britain and France were
engaged in a war known as
the Seven Years’ War.
They battled for
naval and
colonial
supremacy.
This war spilled over to
their colonies in the Americas.
Because many groups of Native
Americans allied themselves
with the French, this war
became known as the French
and Indian War in the
Americas.
When France lost the war in
1763, they suddenly were no
longer a colonial power in
America.
FRANCE
Under the Treaty of
Paris of 1763, Great Britain
gained Canada and all French
land east of the Mississippi
River.
Spain received New
Orleans and all French land
west of the Mississippi.
Why did this matter in Texas?
Well, if France was no longer a
threat for Texas, were the missions
of East Texas, which were expensive
to maintain, needed any longer?
“No”, said Spanish authorities.
And so the East Texas missions were
closed and the 500 settlers there
ordered to move to San Antonio.
The East Texas settlers
reluctantly agreed to move.
For the next six years, they
tried to farm the land given
to them, but drought,
disease, and Comanche
attacks caused their
settlements to fail.
Finally, in 1779, the settlers
decided to move back to their land
in East Texas. They built the town
of Nacogdoches. Because they
were deep in the Piney Woods, the
Spanish had very little control and
influence over them.
Why did this matter in Texas?
These settlers were a sign of
the times to come. Spain failed
to convert Native Americans into
good Spanish citizens. Now, as
more and more Anglo settlers
crossed into Texas, Spanish
influence would weaken further.
The American Revolution
While the Spanish were
wrestling with problems in Texas,
Americans east of the Mississippi
were fighting for independence
from Britain.
Spain aided the Americans in
their fight for independence.
One Spaniard who stood out
in this effort was Bernardo de
Galvez, for whom the city of
Galveston was named. He was the
governor of Spanish held Louisiana
at the time.
Bernardo
de
Galvez
Galvez aided the American
colonists by:
1. opening the port of New Orleans
to American ships
2. giving money, weapons, and
other supplies to the Americans
3. recruiting soldiers to keep
Louisiana and the Mississippi
River out of British hands.
In 1783, Great Britain recognized
the United States as an independent
nation.
In 1800, Spain was forced to give
Louisiana back to France.
In 1803, the United States
purchased the Louisiana Territory
from France for $15 million. The
territory doubled the size of the
United States.
With the signing of the Louisiana
Purchase, Spain and the U.S. quarreled
about the border of their two lands.
In 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty
settled this dispute.
Spain gave Florida to the U.S. and
agreed to the Sabine River as the
eastern boundary of Texas.
In return, the United States gave
up all claims of Texas being part of
the Louisiana Purchase.
Mexican Independence
from Spain
In the early 1800’s, many Mexicans
were becoming unhappy with Spanish
rule. The best jobs in Mexico were
reserved for men sent from Spain as
administrators. Also, Spain increased
Mexican taxes to help pay for wars in
Europe.
Mexican independence from Spain
came about as a result of an Indian
uprising led by a poor priest. In 1810,
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued
a call for freedom from Spain. It was
called the “Grito de Dolores,” or “Cry
of Sorrows.”
Father
Miguel
Hidalgo
y Costilla
Father Miguel
Hidalgo’s “Grito”:
“My children: a new dispensation comes to
us today. Will you receive it? Will you free
yourselves? Will you recover the land
stolen 300 years ago from your
forefathers? … We must act at once… Will
you not defend your religion and your rights
as true patriots?”
A few months
later, in 1811,
Father Hidalgo was
caught and
executed. His
cause, however,
would continued for
ten more years
until its success in
1821.
Texas was involved in the
movement to free Mexico from
Spanish rule.
James Long was a filibuster from
Mississippi who was involved in this
effort. Long objected to the U.S.
surrendering its claim to Texas in the
Adams-Onis Treaty.
In 1819, James Long and 300
rebels captured the town of
Nacogdoches, declared Texas a free
and independent republic, and set up a
government. Long was elected
president.
Long asked the pirate Jean
Laffite for help. Lafitte refused,
saying the revolutionaries had no
chance without a large, disciplined
army. As predicted, Long’s forces
were easily defeated and forced to
surrender. He was taken to Mexico
City, where he was “accidentally” killed
by a guard.
James Long’s wife, Jane, is
known as the “Mother of
Texas,” because she gave
birth to the first Anglo
baby in Texas. She never
remarried, but opened a
hotel in Brazoria which
became a center for social
and political activities as
Texas became a republic
and later a state.
The Pirate Jean Laffite
Another colorful character in Texas
at this time was the pirate Jean
Laffite.
He had aided the American army
against the British and so was
pardoned by President James
Madison for previous crimes. He
was allowed to move his base to
Galveston Island.
Laffite claimed to be fighting for Mexican
independence, but he was really more
interested in capturing Spanish vessels for
their valuable cargoes.
When some of Laffite’s pirates
attacked American ships, Laffite had to
abandon the island and sail for the
Caribbean. According to legend, Laffite
buried a treasure of gold and silver on one
of the islands along the Gulf Coast, but the
treasure has never been found.
Spanish Rule Ends in Texas
In 1821 Mexico became
independent from Spain. Although
Spain had claimed Texas for 300
years, there had been little growth.
Only three settlements – San
Antonio, Goliad, and Nacogdoches –
stood in Texas’ interior.
Spanish Neglect
Spain had been unable to attract many Spanish
settlers to Texas for several reasons:
1. There was no gold or silver to lure
fortune hunters and adventurers.
2. Ambitious men wanted to be near sophisticated
Mexico City where they could get ahead.
3. Mexico still had uncrowded farm land with rich
soil and peaceful Native Americans willing to
work the land.
Spanish Legacy
Despite not populating the region, Spain
left its mark on Texas.
Spaniards explored and mapped
Texas, and as a result, many places in
Texas have Spanish names.
Del Rio
San Antonio
Spanish settlers brought horses,
cattle, sheep, and pigs into Texas.
Texans used the Spanish ranching
system with its practices and
equipment, such as the lariat and chaps.
Early vaqueros (cowboys) made the
first long cattle drives to markets in
Louisiana.
Important elements of Spanish law are
found in the U.S. today.
1. One is the community property law,
which requires that married couples
share equally in property they
acquired during marriage.
2. Another law protects debtors. A
person’s tools and home cannot be
taken from him when he cannot pay
his debts.
The strength of the Catholic Church
in Texas today is also a legacy of Spain.
http://www.llandudno-catholic-church.org.uk/P1020889B.JPG
Nearly six million Texans today
have Spanish names. Many more
speak, read, and write Spanish.
Y
ESO
ES
TODO!
ADIOS AMIGOS!