The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 81, July 1977 - April, 1978 Page: 238
521 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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238 Southwestern Historical Quarterly
exploited and in doing so lays to rest some of the myths about what
really happened in this region during the six months following
Hidalgo's Grito de Dolores. There was no great rush by the people
of this area to join the revolt but there was a great fear by the
Spaniards in the area that this would occur. They were more concerned
about themselves and their wealth than about defending the area from
the insurgents. Large numbers of them refused to take part in the
defense and that defense rested largely on the shoulders of the militia-
men and the extremely limited army contingents in the area. The
defenders were poorly equipped and organized, and none of their
units succeeded in going to the aid of Felix Calleja, as they were
ordered to do and tried to do, because of lack of equipment and of
horses and mules. This lack prevented mobility of the defenders and
is especially surprising in that Tamaulipas, Nuevo Le6n, Coahuila,
and Texas were considered to be populated by large stock raisers,
especially by breeders of horses and mules. Finally the population of
this area, whether native or peninsular, showed a great reluctance to
leave their homes in favor of either the viceregal government or the
insurgency. The people simply preferred to be allowed to pursue their
normal mode of living.
New light is cast not only on those involved in the capture of Hidalgo
and his followers but also on those few who participated with the
insurgents. The large amount of biographical data found in the text
and in the more than ninety pages of notes on many of the men of
the region who continued to play a role long after this six-month
period is especially useful. Indeed this work deserves the attention
of everyone interested in Mexican or Texan history during the early
nineteenth century.
University of Texas at Austin NETTIE LEE BENSON
The Spanish West. By the Editors of Time-Life Books. (New York:
Time, Inc., 1976. Pp. 240. Illustrations, bibliography, index.
$9.95-)
If this book is not lost among the many production spectaculars
on the American West issuing from the same publisher, it may en-
hance popular appreciation of the Spanish colonial epoch in the
present-day United States. Scholars, however, are apt to find it dis-
appointing.
In a passable journalistic effort, the Time-Life editors succeed in
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 81, July 1977 - April, 1978, periodical, 1977/1978; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101205/m1/266/?rotate=270: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.