Texan Magazine
By Bill Dante
This year the USA is celebrating 250 years of independence! We all know that on July 4th, we celebrate the most important milestone in our country’s history!
But how did Texas, which wasn’t even a state until 1845, play an important role in the Revolution?
Well, in a nutshell, Texans supplied vital food and financial resources to the Spanish forces under General Bernardo de Gálvez, which helped open a crucial southern front against the British.
That’s right. San Antonians actually helped George Washington during the last 4 years of the 1776 Revolutionary War.
Back then, Texas was known as New Spain or colonial Mexico to many. Like I mentioned, Texas didn’t even become a state until 1845. That’s nine years after the battle at The Alamo!
The Revolutionary war actually began in 1775. That following year in July, after many revisions, a declaration of independence was declared by our country’s forefathers. But the war carried on until 1783. I didn’t know that!
Like all wars, you have to feed your soldiers. Without food you have no army strong enough to fight enemies and in this case it was the British. Over the years there were many times that food became scarce.
Going back to San Antonio and Mexico, the Spanish arrived in Vera Cruz, on the gulf of Mexico, in the year 1519. That was over two hundred years before any war with the 13 colonies on the east coast against the British.
Now here is the good news and saving grace, in the southwest, besides settlements, the spanish introduced the horse and cattle.
What a fascinating connection! It’s amazing how these threads of history tie together. So, the Spanish indeed introduced cattle along with horses, and those free-ranging herds, thousands, really thrived in regions like New Spain/Texas.
By the late 1770s, the early vaqueros—the original cowboys of the region drove cattle hundreds of miles.
Between 1779 and 1782, thousands of longhorn cattle were driven from Texas missions and ranches in San Antonio and La Bahía to feed the soldiers who defeated the British in Louisiana and Florida.
And it’s pretty incredible to think that those cattle drives ultimately helped feed George Washington’s troops during the Revolutionary War.
Some of the first actual settlers to San Antonio were Spaniards from the Canary Islands.
They were sent by the Spanish crown to settle in what is now San Antonio in the 1730s. A lot of them received land grants in the area from the king of Spain.
The Canary Islanders, along with missionaries founded a settlement called San Fernando de Béjar, which is, of course, part of present-day San Antonio. Actually many of their descendants still live there today. It’s a really unique piece of Texan history!
Two parts came together that lead to the cattle being sent to the Revolutionary War…. soldiers and patriots.
The first was a Spanish general that was responsible for keeping the British away from the gulf coast and present day Louisiana.
The Mexican general I am referring to was actually also the Spanish Governor, Bernardo de Gálvez, who played a crucial role in pushing the British out of the gulf region during the American Revolution.
On the flip side of the story, you had vaqueros like Simón de Arocha, who was one of the well-known cowboys in San Antonio at the time.
He and other vaqueros were responsible for driving thousands of cattle from New Spain into Louisiana to supply the Spanish and American forces.
So you see, it all ties together: Gálvez was the one orchestrating the push against the British in Louisiana, and the vaqueros were crucial in keeping the supply lines moving.
But, there was much more in the interest of Spain. The Spanish military along with the important San Antonio food supply was to make sure that Spain kept ownership and control of Louisiana areas. Because other colonial powers were interested in a land grab, like the French and the colonies.
The situation in Louisiana back then was quite a complex chess game between colonial powers. So originally, Louisiana was a French territory. But after the Seven Years’ War, the French secretly ceded Louisiana to Spain in 1762.
So when Bernardo de Gálvez was pushing the British out during the American Revolution it was definitely in Spain’s interest to secure and hold on to that territory for themselves. It wasn’t just about pushing the British out; it was also about solidifying Spain to keep control in a formerly French-held area.
If you know your country’s history then you’re aware that France and Spain were both allies of the American colonies.
It really was a larger game of international influence. Spain, as I mentioned had its own interests, but there were also other colonial powers watching closely. It was definitely not just a two-player game.
So as I said, in the Revolutionary War, both Spain and France had their own reasons for supporting the American colonies. France, for instance, saw an opportunity to weaken its longtime rival, Britain. By supporting the colonies, France could indirectly strike at Britain without entering into an all-out war right away—and of course they hoped to regain some influence in North America and the Caribbean.
As for Spain, they had similar motivations. They wanted to curb British power and regain territories or maintain influence in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Spain officially joined the war on the side of the colonies in 1779, and they never really signed a formal alliance like the French did. But they did provide crucial support, particularly in places like the Gulf Coast, where they helped drive out the British and really stretched British resources thin.
One of the things that evolved was the formation of the Sons and Daughters of the Revolutionary War.
Both the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) were founded in the late 19th century.
The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) was established on April 30, 1889, which coincided with the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration as the first President of the United States. It was formed during a period of increased interest in the nation’s revolutionary heritage, and it’s open to men who can prove they are lineal descendants of patriots who supported the American Revolution.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) followed shortly after, founded on October 11, 1890. It grew out of a similar revival of patriotic sentiment and a desire among women to honor their Revolutionary War ancestors. Originally, women were excluded from the men’s organizations, so they created their own society dedicated to preserving the memory and spirit of those who contributed to American independence.
In terms of international membership: Both the SAR and DAR have extended membership to descendants of patriots who supported the American Revolution, regardless of where they reside. For example, the SAR has an international society that includes members from places like Mexico, Spain, France and Australia. The DAR is similarly open to women who can trace their lineage back to revolutionary patriots, and they have members from diverse backgrounds around the world.
My family fought against the British, which I traced and have even visited the graves of my direct forefathers.
In most of the large cities in the United States you can find local chapters. They are always open to helping new members.
Together, let’s take advantage of being able to celebrate our 250th anniversary this year. There are lots of things going on from the smallest towns to our largest cities, especially right here in Texas.
Happy 250th Birthday to the United States and God Bless Texas….and America!!
