Before Texas: Historic Ranches and Towns of Nuevo Santander

Before Texas: Historic Ranches and Towns of Nuevo Santander

Only after the U.S.-Mexico War of 1846–1848 was the southern tip of the state incorporated into Texas. From 1748 until 1824, this territory comprised the northern half of the Spanish colonial province of Nuevo Santander. In 1824, when it became a state of the Mexican Republic, Nuevo Santander was given the indigenous name of Tamaulipas. This tour will explore the river ranches between San Agustín de Laredo, founded in 1755 as part of the initial settlement of Nuevo Santander, and Brownsville, founded in 1848 in the aftermath of U.S. victory in the U.S.- Mexico War, which established the Río Grande (rather than the Nueces River) as the boundary between the United States and Mexico. This tour will focus on the historic ranch steads, townsites, and landscapes of the Río Grande/Río Bravo del Norte and the families who inhabit them today.

Registration for this study tour has not yet opened. To be placed on an interest list, please email [email protected] or call (713) 666-9000.