How Spain, France, and the U.S. Claimed the Southwest
Texas and Louisiana's land claims were a complex issue. Spain and France's claims clashed with US desires. Tensions rose as US settlers arrived and Spain fortified the territory. Unresolved disputes over boundaries ultimately led to the Texas Revolution and its annexation by the US.
The American South – a land of sprawling fields, slow drawls, and a history as rich and complex as a pot of gumbo simmering for hours. But before the first shrimp was tossed in, there was a land grab so convoluted it could make your head spin faster than a ceiling fan on high. Put your pants on, history enthusiasts, because we're going deep into the murky (and sometimes downright spicy) world of land claims in Texas and Louisiana.
First, enter Spain. Imagine conquistadors like Pánfilo de Narváez and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, strutting across the land like roosters in a cockfight, claiming most of what's now the US for Spain. North of the Rio Grande, this vast territory was a simmering pot of possibilities, just waiting to be carved up.
