Teaching Texas History: Consider the Source
The textbook has been a cornerstone of American education for generations. It remains a valuable resource in the classroom because it can provide an economy of information in a standardized format. In recent years, however, the reputation of those heavy, outdated locker-fillers has diminished as technology makes information more readily available. Engaged, creative teachers can augment and enhance textbooks by providing students with additional resources that complement the topic or lesson of the day. Primary source documents, those created at the time of an historical event, are exceptional in this role.
For a practical example, let’s consider the circumstances surrounding the lead-up to the Mexican-American War. In one recently adopted Texas History textbook, the author states:
“The conflict between Mexico and the United States was not new. For several years, Mexico had claimed that the Nueces River was the boundary between the two countries. The United States, on the other hand, maintained the old Republic of Texas claim to the Rio Grande as the boundary.”[1]
From this, we know that a boundary dispute between Mexico and the United States occurred. Why is this important? It may be information students need to learn, but on its face, it doesn’t generate much interest. It needs more. A first-person account of the issue would provide an extra emphasis to engage students with the lesson so that they come away with more than just a recital of dates and facts.
The Texas General Land Office Archives contains a document that sheds light on this conflict. The letter,[2] written a few months after the start of the Mexican-American War by Mexican governor Manuel Armijo in Santa Fe to U.S. Army Colonel Stephen Kearny, provides a first-hand perspective on the situation that the textbook lacks.
After successfully annexing Texas, the United States claimed the Rio Grande as the legitimate boundary between Mexico and Texas and planned to take possession of the land. The Mexican government in Santa Fe disagreed, asserting that the Nueces was the true boundary. They found themselves in a situation where they could either submit to the American occupation of their lands or take up arms to defend them. In his letter, Governor Armijo carefully responds to the American ultimatum:
“I cannot agree under any circumstances to the boundaries your government has indicated and declared…although Texas belonged to Mexico long before its annexation, no other boundary can be set up for my government to recognize except the one previously established.”
He is resolute:
“…if my government does not concede the Rio del Norte [Rio Grande] then there will never be any basis on which the acquisition can be considered legal.”
He and others are prepared to fight:
“The towns will rise en masse…I am putting myself at the head and I will advance… I have more than enough forces to use in repelling aggression.”
However, he also desires a peaceful resolution all the while maintaining his dignity as a Mexican citizen:
“I offer my wishes for peace and friendship…but it will be…without any corresponding loss of the rights of my country.”
Chances are, at this point most students are paying attention.
Armijo’s response to Kearny adds depth and interest to an otherwise ordinary textbook reference. It opens up the topic in countless ways — students can analyze the language, infer intent and meaning, place the letter in the greater context of the beginning of the Mexican-American War, and more. Utilizing primary sources gives history a voice and allows it to speak for itself, rather than simply be described by a textbook.
In addition to the letter, other GLO resources can help expand on the textbook’s basic lesson. For instance, GLO Map #93962, A Correct Map of the Seat of War in Mexico…, provides extensive additional information regarding the conflict. This map, the original being the property of Mexican General Mariano Arista, was captured by American soldiers just months before Armijo’s letter to Kearney was written.
There are thousands more interesting primary source documents in the Texas General Land Office Archives waiting to be discovered and used by teachers in the classroom. Your students — and your textbook — will thank you.
Visit our website to access TEKS-based lesson plans, documents, and other classroom materials. An English translation of Governor Armijo’s letter can be found in the downloadable Zip folder at the bottom of the page.
[1] Willoughby, Larry, and Janice C. May. “Chapter 16, Section 1.” Texas History. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub., 2016. 330. Print.
[2] Manuel Armijo to Stephen Kearny, 12 August 1846, Box 134, Folder 28, Records of the Spanish Collection, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX.
