Spanish Texas Exhibit Brings Tejano History to the Forefront With New Programs Across Houston

HOUSTON — The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park will host a series of public programs this fall as part of the statewide launch of the Spanish Texas Exhibit: Life and Legacy, a traveling display that reframes the American Revolution through the experiences of Tejanos and Spanish settlers.

The exhibit, created by the Mexican American Museum of Texas in partnership with The Heritage Society, the Order of the Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Texas Society, highlights the contributions of Spanish Texas between 1775 and 1783 — a region stretching from the Sabine to the Nueces Rivers and anchored by settlements such as San Antonio, La Bahía, Los Adaes and Nacogdoches.

Programs to Engage the Community

To deepen public engagement, The Heritage Society will offer a slate of programs throughout the exhibit’s run.

A series of Lunch and Learn talks will explore daily life in Spanish Texas, including work, foodways, medicine, courtship and leisure activities such as horse racing and card playing. Scholars will also discuss the region’s complex relationships with Native nations and the role Tejanos played in supporting Spanish military campaigns during the American Revolution.

In September, the museum will host Family Heritage Day to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. The free event will feature historic house tours, hands‑on activities and bilingual interpretation designed to introduce families to the cultural diversity of eighteenth‑century Texas.

Two Evening Speaker Events will bring historians and community leaders together for lectures and receptions focused on Tejano military service, cattle drives and the donativos — donations made by residents to support Spanish Colonel Bernardo de Gálvez’s campaigns against the British. Research shows that Spanish Texans contributed nearly 1,700 pesos, equivalent to about 340 head of cattle, despite widespread scarcity.

The exhibit will officially open with a Grand Opening Reception in early August at The Heritage Society Museum. The event will include remarks from curators and partner organizations, along with a preview of the bilingual panels, replica objects and primary sources that anchor the exhibition.

A Broader Story of the Revolution

Organizers say the exhibit aims to expand public understanding of the American Revolution beyond the thirteen colonies. Personal narratives connect historical figures to present‑day descendants, including Cayetano Hernandez to Jesse O. Villarreal Sr. and Simón de Arocha to Mary Hatch, underscoring the lasting legacy of Tejano families.

The exhibit will travel across Texas for eight years, mirroring the duration of the Revolutionary War.