Re-Naming Texas: Competing Mexican and Anglo placenaming in Texas, 1821-1836

Abstract

When Mexico gained its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, numerous placenames across the country changed to become uniquely "Mexican." This "national project" of Mexicanization attempted to foster a nation-wide sense of mexicanidad, highlighting the country's Amerindian past and commemorating its patriotic heroes. Communities and provinces of the former New Spain chose new toponyms to emphasize their newfound Mexican identity. This process extended to the northern province of Texas, as officials and settlers tried to utilize typically Mexican placenames in an attempt to Mexicanize the province. The toponyms used by settlers in Texas, however, reflected the stresses between its Mexican and Anglo inhabitants. Though some settlers tried to prove their loyalty to Mexico, most immigrants from the United States, with little respect for their new homeland, clung tenaciously to their culture and refused to assimilate. This included their use of the English language and typically American placenames. Mexico lost the power to name Texas, and it eventually lost power in Texas. © American Name Society 2011.