Mending Fences: The Marques de Rubi in 1767 and the Spanish in Texas

Dr. McCaslin presents "Mending Fences: The Marqués de Rubí in 1767 and the Spanish in Texas." After King Carlos III of Spain appointed the Marqués de Rubí as the inspector of frontier presidios and commissioned him to remedy economic abuses and other urgent matters, Rubí began his inspection of the Spanish presidios in July 1767. He visited a number of missions and presidios in Texas before leaving in 1767. In all, Rubí's inspection of the northern frontier from the Gulf of California to Louisiana occupied him for twenty-three months, during which he traveled an estimated 7,600 miles. As a result of his inspection, Rubí recommended that Spain reorganize its frontier defenses along a cordon of fifteen presidios, each about 100 miles apart, which stretched from the Gulf of California to the mouth of the Guadalupe River in Texas. Above this "real" frontier, which closely approximated the present international boundary between the United States and Mexico, Rubí advised that only San Antonio and Santa Fe be maintained, and he urged the complete abandonment of East Texas. Finally, because of their perfidy and duplicity, Rubí recommended a war of extermination against the Lipan Apaches. His inspection and subsequent recommendations to the Spanish Crown had a tremendous impact on future of Texas and the Spanish rule in the New World in the 18th century and beyond. McCaslin presented a live presentation on October 14, 2015. The rebroadcast includes the Q&A live program along with smaller topical segments.