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Evening Speaker Series: How Texas Helped Save the American Revolution

How Texas Helped Save the American Revolution

Highlights from The Heritage Society’s America 250 Evening Speaker Event with Dr. Carolina Castillo Crimm

HOUSTON — At The Heritage Society’s America 250 Evening Speaker Series, historian Dr. Carolina Castillo Crimm captivated a full audience with a sweeping, little‑known story: Texas played a decisive role in the American Revolution. The program is part of The Heritage Society’s year‑long America 250 initiative, which includes three major exhibitions: “Coastal Cowboys,” on view through June; the national traveling exhibition “American Revolution Experience,” opening in June and running through July; and “Spanish Texas During the American Revolution: Life and Legacy,” presented July through December. Alongside these exhibitions, The Heritage Society is hosting a robust slate of day and evening programs that explore Houston’s early history, international alliances, and the region’s overlooked contributions to America’s founding era. The Heritage Society is located at 1100 Bagby Street in Sam Houston Park. More information is available at www.heritagesociety.org.

Here are some of the most surprising facts Dr. Crimm shared.

Texas Was Part of the Story — Long Before It Was Texas

Most Americans assume the American Revolution unfolded far from the future Lone Star State. But in the late 1700s, Texas was part of New Spain, and Spain became a crucial ally to the struggling American colonies. As Dr. Crimm put it, “Everybody thinks the American Revolution had nothing to do with Texas. On the contrary — here we have it.”

Bernardo de Gálvez Was the Unsung Hero of the Revolution

The central figure in this forgotten chapter is Bernardo de Gálvez, the young Spanish governor of Louisiana. At just 22, he launched bold military campaigns against the British along the Gulf Coast, securing victories at Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. His leadership cut off British supply lines and protected the vulnerable western flank of the colonies.

Spain Secretly Supplied Washington’s Army

Under orders from King Carlos III, Gálvez funneled weapons, gunpowder, blankets, uniforms, and other supplies up the Mississippi River — often right under the noses of British patrols. These shipments reached the Continental Army at critical moments, including the harsh winter at Valley Forge.

Texas Provided the First Major Cattle Drive in North America

To feed his troops, Gálvez requested livestock from Spanish Texas. The result: 9,000 head of cattle were driven from San Antonio and surrounding missions to Louisiana — the earliest large‑scale cattle drive documented in North America. These weren’t longhorns, Dr. Crimm noted, but corrientes, small, tough black cattle with short horns.

The Canary Islanders, Germans, French, and Native Allies Joined the Fight

Gálvez recruited a remarkably diverse force:

• Canary Islanders from San Antonio

• Free people of color

• French residents of Louisiana

• German settlers

• Native allies, including Apache groups he had previously negotiated with

His ability to speak multiple languages helped him unite these communities.

A Hurricane Couldn’t Stop Him

Just as Gálvez prepared to attack British positions, a hurricane destroyed his fleet. Instead of retreating, he rallied his men with the same words he once used crossing the Pecos River: “He who has courage will follow.” They rebuilt and sailed again — and won.

Spain’s Support Was So Significant, Congress Honored Gálvez

In 1783, the U.S. Congress formally recognized Bernardo de Gálvez for his contributions to American independence. A statue of him now stands in Washington, D.C., and more monuments are planned.

So… Did Texas Help Save the American Revolution?

According to Dr. Crimm, the answer is yes. Texas cattle fed the troops. Texas territory enabled Spanish supply routes. Texas‑connected leadership — through Gálvez and his family — shaped the war’s outcome.

As she concluded, “Was it Texas that kept the troops going? It was Texas.”

Lunch and Learn: “The Declaration of Independence” By: Sons of the American Revolution – Freedom Chapter featuring Ed Sellards, First Vice President Thursday, January 15, 2026

Evening Speaker Series & Wine Reception: "Spain, United States Independence, and the Strategy that Made it Possible" by Speaker and Author Thomas E. Chávez

Author Thomas E. Chávez on Wednesday, November 12, at 6:00 PM, as he shares his research about how Spain supported our country’s independence. Chávez was the former director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, and the former curator and director of the Palace of the Governors, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe. He has authored many publications and books on related topics and is a Research Associate Professor for the University of New Mexico's Latin American and Iberian Institute.

Honoring Army, Navy and Marines 250th Anniversaries: New Texas America250 Exhibit from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC)

TSLAC Chair, Dr. Martha Wong will speak and be on hand for the launch alongside State Archivist Jelain Chubb and Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center Manager Alana Inman for the launch of the new exhibit on Saturday, August 23, at 3:00 p.m., during Happy Birthday Houston taking place in our museum gallery.

Dr. Martha Wong, TSLAC Chair and member of the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, housed on Texas Woman’s University's campus. Wong has served on TSLAC since 2015 and was appointed chair by Governor Greg Abbott in January 2020. A longtime educational leader in Texas and the greater Houston area, Wong is a former educator and administrator as well as a former state representative and Houston city council member.

Join us on Wednesday July 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM for speaker John Espinosa, Governor General - Member of the Houston Chapter, Los Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez. The speaking engagement will be preceded with a wine reception and Spanish tapas. This speaker event was generously sponsored in part by the Summerlee Foundation.

“I grew up as a Hispanic boy in East Houston. In school, I learned all about the Boston Tea Party, about Paul Revere, and all that happened up north in the thirteen colonies. But they never told me about Gálvez or the pivotal role of Spain and the Gulf Coast in the American Revolution.” Espinosa will illuminate the accomplishments of General Bernardo De Gálvez of Spain, a great hero of our country’s war for independence. He will also perpetuate the memory of the Spanish soldiers who fought during the American Revolution and share facts about how Gálvez ordered cattle in advance of mounting his campaign against the British.

Did you know Spain chose to join the war against England primarily out of global political strategy? Three places played into their thinking: Menorca, an island off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean; Gibraltar, a point in southern Spain guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean; and the large region of the Mississippi Valley known as Louisiana. In 1776, as the result of centuries of conflict, the British controlled Menorca and Gibraltar – key to Spain’s defense of its coast – and the French held Louisiana – a potentially lucrative source of raw materials. When France agreed to return Louisiana as part of an alliance, Spain entered the War on the Franco-American side.

About the Organization- Los Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez was founded during the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976 to research and understand the pivotal, yet unpublicized role of Spain -- and the contributions of her King and her people -- to the colonists’ victory in the American Revolution. In this endeavor, our organization labors to teach about this important, but forgotten, aspect of American history.

Tickets include free parking at 212 Dallas Street, wine and tapas reception, and three museum gallery exhibits.

June 15, 2026 - TXDAR American Revolution Experience Exhibit sponsored in part by the Daughters of the American Revolution, this state-traveling exhibit will run for approximately one month.