Spanish Texas During the American Revolution: Life and Legacy, 1775–1783

The Heritage Society is currently hosting Spanish Texas During the American Revolution: Life and Legacy, 1775–1783, a traveling exhibition that looks at the American Revolution through the eyes of the Tejanos and Spanish settlers living across Spanish Texas. It covers a wide stretch of ground, from the Sabine to the Nueces Rivers, and brings in stories from San Antonio, La Bahía, Los Adaes, and Nacogdoches. The whole thing is part of the museum's America250 programming, and it follows their summer presentation, The American Revolution Experience.

A good chunk of the show focuses on the donativos — the donations local residents made to help Spanish Colonel Bernardo de Gálvez in his campaign against the British. Those contributions added up to nearly 1,700 pesos, which worked out to about 340 head of cattle. To bring that home, the exhibition's centerpiece is Don Fernando, a life-sized bull created by artist Alfonso Hernandez, better known as the "Piñata Man." The bull serves as a teaching tool about the cattle drives that supplied Spanish forces during the war.

Around Don Fernando, you'll find bilingual panels, replica objects, primary sources, and stories from descendants of the people who lived through it. The exhibition was produced by the Mexican American Museum of Texas in partnership with historian and author Dr. Tim Seiter. After its run here, it's scheduled to travel across Texas for eight years, so this is one of its first stops.

The Heritage Society itself is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that tells the diverse history of Houston and Texas through its collections, exhibits, film, and educational programs. You can find the museum at Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby Street, in downtown Houston. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM, and admission is $5, with free access on designated community days.