War and Peace on the Rio Grande Frontier, 1830–1880

Miguel Ángel González-Quiroga

Dec 2022 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Lee Osorio

About this audiobook

The historical record of the Rio Grande valley through much of the nineteenth century reveals well-documented violence fueled by racial hatred, national rivalries, lack of governmental authority, competition for resources, and an international border that offered refuge to lawless men. Less noted is the region's other everyday reality, one based on coexistence and cooperation among Mexicans, Anglo-Americans, and the Native Americans, African Americans, and Europeans who also inhabited the borderlands. War and Peace on the Rio Grande Frontier, 1830-1880 is a history of these parallel worlds focusing on a border that gave rise not only to violent conflict but also cooperation and economic and social advancement. Historian Miguel Ángel González-Quiroga draws on national archives, letters, consular records, periodicals, and a host of other sources to give voice to borderlanders' perspectives as he weaves their many, varied stories into one sweeping narrative. The tale he tells is one of economic connections and territorial disputes, of refugees and bounty hunters, speculation and stake holding, smuggling and theft, and other activities in which economic considerations often carried more weight than racial prejudice. This is a magisterial work that forever alters, complicates, and enriches borderlands history.

About the author

Miguel Ángel González-Quiroga is a transnational scholar who was born in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and taught Mexican and US history at the Facultad de Filosofia y Letras of the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon. He has coauthored, coedited, or translated five books, including Texas y el norte de Mexico (with Mario Cerutti).

Lee Osorio is an actor and narrator based in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit leeosorio.com to learn more.