Bexar Archives facts for kids
The Bexar Archives are a huge collection of old Spanish documents. They are kept safe at the University of Texas at Austin. These papers tell us a lot about the early history of Texas when it was part of Spain and later Mexico.
Contents
What Are the Bexar Archives?
The Bexar Archives are named after their original home, San Antonio de Bexar. This was a very important government center in Texas when it was under Spanish and Mexican rule. The documents are all written in Spanish. They include letters, official reports, and other important papers.
Why Are These Documents Important?
These documents are like a time capsule! They give us a detailed look at daily life and big events in Texas. They cover a long period, from the late 1600s up to the mid-1800s. Historians and students use them to learn about how Texas grew and changed. They show us how people lived, what laws they followed, and how the government worked.
How the Archives Found a Home
For many years, these important papers were kept in San Antonio. But in 1899, the leaders of Bexar County made a big decision. The Bexar County Commissioners' Court voted to move the collection. They decided to send almost 81,000 documents to the University of Texas at Austin.
The University's Promise
The University of Texas agreed to take care of these valuable papers. They promised to do three main things:
- Translate them from Spanish into English.
- Archive them, which means organizing and cataloging them carefully.
- Store them in a special fireproof vault to keep them safe forever.
Who Organized the Archives?
A famous historian named Carlos Castañeda did the first big job of organizing these documents. He worked hard to make sure they were properly arranged. Thanks to his efforts, people can easily study these important records today.
