Downtown Austin in Travis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Tejanos and Texas in the U.S.
1848-1920
Photographed By James Hulse, August 30, 2022
1. Tejanos and Texas in the U.S. Marker
Inscription.
Tejanos and Texas in the U.S.. After 1848, when all of Texas became part of the United States, most Tejanos adjusted to the new American laws and to the new economy. At times, change came too fast for Tejanos resulting in injustice and violence, and many experienced the loss of their lands. Rebellions broke out that attempted to right those wrongs. Many others adapted, and some even prospered in the new political and economic system, particularly in South Texas. In the 1850s, Mexican Americans shared their ranching life and culture of vaqueros (the first cowboys) with Anglo settlers. While some of the original Tejano residents in cities such as Brownsville, Laredo, and San Antonio became merchants and leaders in local political organizations, many Mexican-Americans arriving from Mexico became laborers in the new economic system. Many of these new arrivals assumed identities as Tejanos. They participated in important national events, including the Civil War (1861-1865) in which Tejanos were recruited by the Union as well as the Confederacy. Many Tejanos fought honorably in the Spanish-American War and in World War I.
After 1848, when all of Texas became part of the United States, most Tejanos adjusted to the new American laws and to the new economy. At times, change came too fast for Tejanos resulting in injustice and violence, and many experienced the loss of their lands. Rebellions broke out that attempted to right those wrongs. Many others adapted, and some even prospered in the new political and economic system, particularly in South Texas. In the 1850s, Mexican Americans shared their ranching life and culture of vaqueros (the first cowboys) with Anglo settlers. While some of the original Tejano residents in cities such as Brownsville, Laredo, and San Antonio became merchants and leaders in local political organizations, many Mexican-Americans arriving from Mexico became laborers in the new economic system. Many of these new arrivals assumed identities as Tejanos. They participated in important national events, including the Civil War (1861-1865) in which Tejanos were recruited by the Union as well as the Confederacy. Many Tejanos fought honorably in the Spanish-American War and in World War I.
Location. 30° 16.378′ N, 97° 44.419′ W. Marker is in Austin, Texas, in Travis County. It is in Downtown Austin. Marker can be reached from the intersection of East 11th Street and Congress Avenue. The marker is located in the southeast section of the Texas State Capitol grounds by the south entrance gate on the Tejano Monument. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 East 11th Street, Austin TX 78701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. The Tejanos and Texas in the U.S. Marker is the 2nd marker from the right
of American residents of Mexican descent, largely begins after the annexation of Northern Mexico in 1848, when the nearly 80,000 Mexican citizens of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico became U.S. citizens. Large-scale migration increased the U.S.’ Mexican population during the 1910s, as refugees fled the economic devastation and violence of Mexico’s high-casualty revolution and civil war. Until the mid-20th century, most Mexican Americans lived within a few hundred miles of the border, although some resettled along rail lines from the Southwest into the Midwest.
(Submitted on September 13, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
4. The view of the Tejanos and Texas in the U.S. Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 166 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 13, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.