A Conglomeration of Races
“Remember the Alamo” is a phrase recognized all across Texas, signifying the sacrifice made by those defenders who fought for the state we know today. However, San Antonio is more than just the Alamo. Its rich Hispanic culture and military presence make this large Texas city a must-see destination for tourists and history lovers alike.
With 300 years of history to dig through, it’s easier to start from the beginning, with the 1691 Spanish expedition that brought Domingo Teránde los Rios to the region. Upon arriving, Domingo named the river running through East Texas after friar Saint Anthony of Padua, or the San Antonio River. In 1709, the Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition navigated the area around the future site of San Antonio, which led them to name the San Pedro Springs. This particular spring was even noted as having an “abundance of water,” essentially being able to “supply to only a village, but a city which could easily be founded here.” And thus, San Antonio was officially founded, in 1718.
Within the first years of the city’s founding, missions and presidios were established, the most notable being San Antonio de Béxar Presidio, located in the Comandancia, or the Spanish Governor’s Palace. This created a mixed community of both civilians and military citizens. Migrants, known as the Canary Islanders, helped to establish the first regularly-organized civil government in Texas. They helped to structure the layout of the town, established farmlands between the river, and assisted in contracting the San Fernando de Béxar Church, which later became known as the San Fernando Cathedral. With their influence, the Canary Islanders helped in the economic growth and community presence within the city.
Within the community, the population consisted of a mix of Europeans, mestizos (a mix of Spanish and Indian), Indians, and castas (a mix of Spanish, Indian, and African); however, most mixed-race individuals referred to themselves as mulatto. While today, this usually is defined as a person mixed with a white parent and black parent, Indian/mestizo and Indian/back descendants took on the identity as well. It’s interesting to note as well, the introduction of the Afro-Mexicans, people who were of African descent who integrated into the Hispanic population as either free people, or part of the small number of slaves. They helped in the establishment of the mixed races, embracing the ideas of a New Spain.
From the time it was founded, to the siege of the Alamo, to present-day, San Antonio has always been a pivotal city for Texas history. Its interesting multi-cultural background gives it a unique history, in comparison to the other major cities.
San Antonio is famous for its river. Make your own river! Use your bathroom sink and household items to run the stream from your bathroom faucet to the bathtub. Careful not to spill - if San Antonio’s river flooded the city, there would be thousands of angry people - if your river floods, it’s the wrath of Mom or Dad you have to face.
Ramsdell, Charles William., Barker, Eugene Campbell., Potts, Charles Shirley. A School History of Texas. United States: Row, Peterson, 1912.
Minor, Nancy McGown. The Light Gray People: An Ethno-History of the Lipan Apaches of Texas and Northern Mexico. United States: University Press of America, 2009.
History of Texas: Fort Worth and the Texas Northwest Edition. United States: Lewis publishing Company, 1922.
San Antonio de Bexar: A Guide and History. United States: Bainbridge & Corner, 1890.
Chabot, Frederick Charles. With the Makers of San Antonio: Genealogies of the Early Latin, Anglo-American, and German Families with Occasional Biographies. United States: Privately Published, 1937, 119-122.