Jose Antonio Navarro: In Search of the American Dream in Nineteenth-Century Texas (Watson Caufield and Mary Maxwell Arnold Republic of Texas Series) - Hardcover

David McDonald (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0876112432 ISBN 13: 9780876112434

Publisher: Texas State Historical Association, 2010

Synopsis

The first biography to appear in more than a generation on the most influential Tejano leader of the nineteenth century, ‘Jose Antonio Navarro: In Search of the American Dream in Nineteenth-Century Texas’ fills one of the most glaring gaps in the current historical literature on Texas. The product of a lifetime of research by author David McDonald, this volume is sure to stand as the definitive treatment of Navarro’s life for decades to come. McDonald corrects many long-standing misconceptions concerning Navarro and fleshes out the details of his life in a way no author has done before. Born in San Antonio in 1795, Jose Antonio Navarro lived through a tumultuous era in Texas history that saw the transitions of Texas from a Spanish colony to a Mexican state, an independent republic, an American state, a Confederate state, and an American state once again. More than just bearing witness to these events, however, Jose Antonio Navarro helped shape them. He served in the legislatures of Coahuila y Texas, the Republic of Texas, and the state of Texas. He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a steadfast defender of the rights of all Tejanos and people of Mexican descent in Texas, ensuring at both the 1836 Consultation that created the Texas Republic and the 1845 drafting of the state constitution after annexation that political rights would not be restricted solely to those with white skin and pure European ancestry. ‘Jose Antonio Navarro: In Search of the American Dream in Nineteenth-Century Texas’ is more than just a political biography; it is a story of the American Dream. Navarro and his family worked hard to improve their lives on the Texas frontier, starting with his father, an immigrant from the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Navarro was not only an influential politician, but a successful businessman and rancher. This pattern of improvement continued into the next generation of the family when Navarro’s son Angel entered Harvard College to study law. Jose Antonio Navarro was also an early friend of Stephen F. Austin, sharing a vision of Texas with the famed empresario in which both Tejanos and Anglos could thrive. Navarro believed that Texas was a place where peoples of all colours and backgrounds should be able to realise the American Dream.

About this title

Review

"David McDonald does an admirable job of rescuing Navarro from the obscure stereotype he has become for modern Texans, who often know him only as the token Tejano silently present at important events. Instead, Navarro comes to life as an active shaper of the world in which he lives, fighting to protect and promote his family, his community, and all Tejanos. This book should be read by all who wish to understand the true history of Texas."--Richard B. McCaslin, University of North Texas

"David McDonald does an admirable job of rescuing Navarro from the obscure stereotype he has become for modern Texans, who often know him only as the token Tejano silently present at important events. Instead, Navarro comes to life as an active shaper of the world in which he lives, fighting to protect and promote his family, his community, and all Tejanos. This book should be read by all who wish to understand the true history of Texas."--Richard B. McCaslin, University of North Texas--Richard B. McCaslin

About the Author

DAVID McDONALD is a self-employed historian from San Antonio. He worked for twenty-three years as manager and park historian for the Casa Navarro Historic Site. He translated and co-edited (with Timothy Matovina) Defending Mexican Valor in Texas: The Historical Writings of Jos Antonio Navarro. He has given presentations on Navarro for various audiences, worked as a translator for the Texas Antiquities Committee, been a consultant for PBS's American Experience, and given workshops on Spanish paleography.

About this edition

• Publisher: Texas State Historical Association
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0876112432
• ISBN 13: 9780876112434
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352