To Understand, We Go to the Beginning

So how do we come to understand historical outcomes? How can we come to understand the gaps that exist between a series of events? The natural thing to do is to look at the byproduct of a chain of events that took place over 150 years ago and to draw assumptions. Yet assumptions can never be trusted. Assumptions can be correct, or they can lead us astray, they can lead us into a wilderness of non-existent facts and narratives that can't be tested.

I do think the natural byproduct we have come accustomed to is the end result. This end result as we all know by now is the plight of Antonio de la Garza and his family. Yet, the more important question to ask is how did it all begin? How did history lead us to this point? I believe that in order to understand this chain of events and to see it with a clear lens is to take a step back and start at the beginning.

I have a good idea now as to whether Becerra's claim to title is valid or not. I plan on showing that it was. But I will say that my initial instincts were wrong. Don Manuel Becerra did receive his title by the Mexican Government. Yes, he did, and the de la Garza's were the last of the line to have held it. What I gave you was the end. But to see it correctly, we need to start at the beginning. The beginning starts with the story of Manuel Becerra...

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Transfer to Francisco de la Garza

This is the conveyance of land from Maria Josefa and Jose Maria to Francisco de la Garza. The bottom picture is the start, and it finishes at the top of the next picture, the one on top. If this isn't legitimate ownership of title, then I don't know what is...

Revisiting Old Wounds, Tying Up Loose Ends...

The quest to understand what happened to Antonio de la Garza's land was not one that was born out of curiosity, instead, it was born out of necessity. A necessity I felt was needed to help expunge the vicissitudes and injustices our people had to endure at the turn of the 20th century, an injustice that left its imprint on the soul of Becerra generations to come. My journey with this story started over 20 years ago. Abel Rubio's book, Stolen Heritage, had laid dormant in my father's living room for more than 10 years, and so one day I saw it sitting amongst other books and asked my father if I could take it home and read it. I had always been curious about the book and thought I'd give it a spin and read it from cover to cover in hopes of understanding what had happened. Over the course of a few weeks, I made time to read it, not really knowing what it would lead to or how it would end. Yet, in the end, I chose to close the book and put it back on the shelf for ano...

The Timeline for this Project

Phase I: 1810 - 1834, everything Becerra, including his accomplishments, travels, correspondence leading up to his petitioning and granting of title in 1834. It will include the conflicts and communication via the Ayuntamiento of Goliad and will include colonization efforts by Powers and Hewetson as well as disputes with Martin de Leon. It will include evidence I have from the General Land Office, his actual title. It will include evidence that is central to this story and that is his disputes with colonization efforts by Powers and Hewetson. No stone left unturned... Completion estimate: December 31st, 2023. Phase II: 1835 - 1860, everything Becerra including transitioning to the de la Garza's, including his ongoing disputes with the colonization efforts by Powers and Hewitson. The war of 1836 and the emergence of the Republic of Texas and its effect on Mexican Tejano settlers. The lost years between 1836 and 1848. The filing of and the legitimization of his land as ...

Stolen Heritage Revisited

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