Searching for the Republic of the Rio Grande: Northern Mexico and Texas, 1838-1840

In 1838, a rebellion began in northern Mexico. A loose collective sought to establish a “Republic of the Rio Grande”: the rebellion lasted two years, failed, and was then forgotten by history.

This regional effort to establish an independent republic achieved some fleeting victories, although they were flanked by triumphs of the Supreme Government. Initially fed by a desire to defend the federalist system against a consolidated and unsupportive central government, zealous leaders such as An...