Jose Antonio Navarro was a prominent figure in the early history of texas. He was a Mexican-American statesman, politician, and revolutionary who played a significant role in the Texas Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of Texas. Navarro was a strong advocate for the rights of Tejanos, or Mexican Texans, and fought for their inclusion in the new government. He was also a successful businessman and loandowner, and his contributions to Texas history are widely recognized. Navarro was born in San Antonio Tx in 1795 when Texas was still a part of New Spain. Navarro's family had a very long history in Texas dating all the way back to the 1730s. His father, Angel Navarro was a native of the corsican city of Ajaccio and also a rancher …show more content…
Navarro openly opposed the American party, sometimes known as the Know nothing party in 1854. The party was anti catholic and anti immigrant because the group felt threatened by immigration from catholic nations. It functioned as a secret society, and when asked about their plans, the members would repeatedly deny them by saying “i don't know, i don't know anything,” earning them the monkler. The knows nothing party was soundly defeated at the pools in Texas in 1855 thanks in large part to Navarro's work in creating an informed voter in Texas and San Antonio. To his dismay, he lived to watch his people become a laboring underclass to the Angle Americans and lose the majority of their land holdings and political authority. Navarro clarified the history of the Tejanos contributions to Texas independence in essays and a book, noting that the people of Bexar and other Texas cities were battling for the states independence 25 years before the alamo.Throughout his life, Navarro was a passionate advocate for educational and cultural preservation. He helped to found the first public schools in San Antonio and worked to preserve the Spanish language and culture in texas. Navarro was also a prolific writer and historian publishing several books and articles on Texans history and culture. Despite his …show more content…
Along with thousands of residents of Texas, Navarro is the name of streets, schools, and counties in Texas. The limestone and adobe Jose Antonio Navarro State historical park, a historical monument in the heart of San ANtonio, includes Casa Navarro. Casa Navarro, which the San Antonio conservation society acquired and refurbished in 1960, interprets Texas Mexican ancestry and history. The town of Corsicana, Texas, the county seat of Navarro County, is another one of the Navarros families legacies. When Jose Antonio Navarro was given the privilege of naming the location, he chose “corsicana” in honor of the mediterranean island of corsica, where his family had originated. The growing town allowed drilling here in the spring of 1894 in an effort to increase its water supply, and in the process discovered oil and gas. It was the first oil find west of the Mississippi, and Corsicana quickly developed into a prosperous boomtown. Oil and gas extraction is still done by businesses in Corsicana. Jose Antonio Navarro is an inspirational person for the state of Texas because of all the positive impacts he has had on the state of Texas and because of his advocacy for Tejanos he has opened many doors for us