Jose de Escandon

Before the Americans settled in Texas, in 1822, the Spanish government attempted to stock the land full of their own people. “Nueva Santander was to be settled by colonists as a Colonia instead of a provincia pacified by missionaries and soldiers.” Because of the impending threat brought by the slow migration of the French from Louisiana, and the English from the Gulf of Mexico, the encroachment made the Spanish government territorial of their Texas land. The eighteenth century consisted of Spain’s assigning colonizers to each claimed and explored Texas area, to develop towns and missions. One of these colonizers, Jose de Escandon, was extremely successful.

At fifteen, Escandon left Spain for Mexico, “where he served as a cadet in the Mounted Encomenderos Company.” At age twenty-seven, he was promoted to Sergeant Major of the regiment at Queretaro, for subduing an Indian uprising in Celaya. His talent of “pacifying the Indians” continued throughout his adult life and when he was forty, he was again promoted to Colonel of the Military Companies in Queretaro.

The latter half of the 1740s proved to be a time of great change for Escandon. His career seemed to bud new life, bringing many bright opportunities. In 1746, Escandon inspected “the country between Tampico and the San Antonio River.” Apparently, his search proved a success, because, the following year, he developed a colonization plan, after sending seven divisions to the area. After delay, “Escandon was made Governor and Captain-General of Nuevo Santander on June 1, 1748.” Born in Santander, Spain, it was only natural for Escandon to name and become the first governor of Nuevo Santander. This area “extended from the Panuco River in Mexico to the Guadalupe River in Texas.”

"Indios bárbaros, pagans, and apostates," controlled this area of Texas. “These natives, many of whom had suffered from Spanish slave raids and oppression in the haciendas, had resisted the inroads of Christianity and civilization, afflicting shipwreck castaways as well as settlers.” It’s no wonder they didn’t want to coexist with the Spanish settlers or government, so they denied “Spain the economic benefits of ports, salt deposits, and agricultural lands, [and] they had forced travelers between Mexico City and La Bahía, on the Guadalupe River in Texas, to take a route twice the shortest distance.” Escandon sought ways to remedy ties between the two cultures.

Franciscan priests came with the colonists, but Escandon made it “impossible for the padres to build thriving mission communities.” He saw the different tactics the priests used to exploit the natives, and found ways to prevent it; “first, he denied them juridical and economic power over Indians, lest the missionaries turn Indians ‘into perpetual slaves on the king’s account’.” To ensure there would be no issue of slavery, Escandon demanded Indians be paid wages for their work. “He intended to use friars as parish priests and to rely on markets rather than missions to draw the Indians into the Spanish world.”

The colony of New Santander had to appeal to the people in Spanish Mexico, so advertisements were placed across the colonies, and the colony was not disappointed. “A frontier ranching province . . . with twenty-five villas, three mining districts, seventeen haciendas, 437 ranchos, and eight missions;” this was one of the most prosperous settlements to date.

Unfortunately, there were accusations of maladministration against Jose de Escandon, and he was brought to court. He died awaiting his trial, in 1770, but posthumously received a full exoneration. After being made Count of Sierra Gorda, and Knight of the Order of Santiago by Fernando VI, Escandon founded settlements along the Rio Grande. However, despite its late beginning, “the Nuevo Santander population soon outpaced that of Texas, reaching 30,000 by the end of the century.” For this, Escandon is remembered as the Father of the lower Rio Grande valley.

Before the Americans settled in Texas, in 1822, the Spanish government attempted to stock the land full of their own people. Because of the impending threat brought by the slow migration of the French from Louisiana, and the English from the Gulf of Mexico, the encroachment made the Spanish government territorial of their Texas land. The eighteenth century consisted of Spain’s assigning colonizers to each claimed and explored Texas area, to develop towns and missions. One of these colonizers was extremely successful. His name was Jose de Escandon.

At fifteen, Escandon left Spain for Mexico, “where he served as a cadet in the Mounted Encomenderos Company.” At age twenty-seven, he was promoted to Sergeant Major of the regiment at Queretaro, for subduing an Indian uprising in Celaya. His talent of “pacifying the Indians” continued throughout his adult life and when he was forty, he was again promoted to Colonel of the Military Companies in Queretaro.

The latter half of the 1740s proved to be a time of great change for Escandon. His career seemed to bud new life, bringing many bright opportunities. In 1746, Escandon inspected “the country between Tampico and the San Antonio River.” Apparently, his search proved a success, because, the following year, he developed a colonization plan, after sending seven divisions to the area. After delay, “Escandon was made Governor and Captain-General of Nuevo Santander on June 1, 1748.” Born in Santander, Spain, it was only natural for Escandon to name, and become the first Governor of, Nuevo Santander. This area “extended from the Panuco River in Mexico to the Guadalupe River in Texas.”

"Indios bárbaros, pagans, and apostates," controlled this area of Texas. “These natives, many of whom had suffered from Spanish slave raids and oppression in the haciendas, had resisted the inroads of Christianity and civilization, afflicting shipwreck castaways as well as settlers.” It’s no wonder they didn’t want to coexist with the Spanish settlers or government, so they denied “Spain the economic benefits of ports, salt deposits, and agricultural lands, [and] they had forced travelers between Mexico City and La Bahía, on the Guadalupe River in Texas, to take a route twice the shortest distance.” The colony of New Santander had to appeal to the people in Spanish Mexico, so advertisements were placed across the colonies, and the colony was not disappointed. “A frontier ranching province . . . with twenty-five villas, three mining districts, seventeen haciendas, 437 ranchos, and eight missions;” this was one of the most prosperous settlements to date.

After being made Count of Sierra Gorda, and Knight of the Order of Santiago by Fernando VI, Escandon founded settlements along the Rio Grande. However, despite its late beginning, “the Nuevo Santander population soon outpaced that of Texas, reaching 30,000 by the end of the century.” For this, Escandon is remembered as the Father of the lower Rio Grande Valley.

Before the Americans settled in Texas, in 1822, the Spanish government attempted to stock the land full of their own people. The eighteenth century consisted of Spain’s assigning colonizers to each claimed and explored area, to develop towns and missions. One of these colonizers, Jose de Escandon, was extremely successful.

At fifteen, Escandon left Spain for Mexico, “where he served as a cadet in the Mounted Encomenderos Company.” At age twenty-seven, he was promoted to Sergeant Major of the regiment at Queretaro, for subduing an Indian uprising in Celaya. His talent of “pacifying the Indians” continued throughout his adult life and when he was forty, he was again promoted to Colonel of the Military Companies in Queretaro.

The latter half of the 1740s proved to be a time of great change for Escandon. His career seemed to bud new life, bringing many bright opportunities. In 1746, Escandon inspected “the country between Tampico and the San Antonio River.” Apparently, his search proved a success, because, the following year, he developed a colonization plan, after sending seven divisions to the area. After delay, “Escandon was made Governor and Captain-General of Nuevo Santander on June 1, 1748.” Born in Santander, Spain, it was only natural for Escandon to name, and become the first Governor of, Nuevo Santander. This area “extended from the Panuco River in Mexico to the Guadalupe River in Texas.”

After being made Count of Sierra Gorda, and Knight of the Order of Santiago by Fernando VI, Escandon founded settlements along the Rio Grande. Before his death in 1770, Escandon founded over twenty towns, villas, and missions. Most of these towns were “quiet, desolate, rough” and gloomy adobe towns, but for this, Escandon is remembered as the Father of the lower Rio Grande valley.

1700 - 1770

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