Welcome to Finding Medina.

Episode 1, The Roads to Revolution.

I'm Brandon Seale.

Texas in the early 1800s was defined by its isolation.

Monclova, the capital of neighboring Coahuila, was 300 miles away and was itself little more than a frontier outpost.

Saltyo at 400 miles away was Texas' real connection to the rest of New Spain, though just as often Tejanos looked to the east

to the markets of Louisiana to access the broader world. San Antonio, with around 2,000 inhabitants,

contained 80% or so of the non-Indian population of the province in 1800, and served as the capital

and only polity in the province with any form of recognized government.

And yet San Antonio, frankly, was lucky to still be on the map in 1800.

In 1767, a royal inspector recommended that the entire province of Texas, quote,

be returned to the Indians, end quote, who in truth remained the masters of the

province.

Europeans came to Texas on Native Americans' terms, and Tejanos, almost by definition, were among

the few who were truly able to meet them on those terms.

Yet rather than admire Tejano's toughness, peninsular-born Spanish authorities harbored deep suspicions towards these frontiersmen.

Some of this was certainly racial.

If you believe the census designations,

almost two-thirds of San Antonioians in the late 18th century

claimed some form of African ancestry,

to say nothing of the innumerable other admixtures of Native American and European bloodlines in the Little Frontier community.

Royal authorities didn't know what to make of this, quote, ragged band of men of all colors, end quote, much less of their never-ending lawsuits, petitions, and electioneering.

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