I started this painting not out of some type of revenge or retribution of any kind, but from the desire to honor and to memorialize my Great grandfather Manuel Moralez, who was killed that early morning along with the 14 innocent men and boys
“We’re not going to open [the door] for them. I told them already.” The words decisively uttered by a Mexican immigration agent lingered in the air
Written by Tim Bowman I decided to experiment with something a little different in my Texas history class here at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) this past fall semester. Typically, for a Core-curriculum class, I would assign two books that the students would read in common outside of our primary source readings and central class
By Juan Carmona, RTF Member November 3, 2024, is going on my list as one of my proudest moments as an educator. In the past, I have had students participate in recreating important moments in history and sharing them with the public, such as readings from “The 1919 Canales Commission” highlighting the Underground Railroad in
On February 8, 1918, Texas Ranger Captain William Hanson wrote a letter to his boss, Adjutant General James Harley, about his trip to Marfa, Texas. Just two weeks earlier, Marfa-based Texas Rangers under the command of Captain J.M. Fox had perpetrated the Porvenir Massacre, one of the most reprehensible actions ever undertaken by the Rangers,
On a gloomy Saturday afternoon in January, the Duval County Historical Commission unveiled a historical marker commemorating the signing of El Plan de San Diego. A The declaration, written over a hundred years ago, called for a revolution against the United States to free the Southwest. This declaration was not the work of a fringe
The Plan de San Diego: A Triumph of the Mexican American Spirit Read More »
Refusing to Forget is pleased to announce that in 2023 we will be running an #OTD in Ranger History campaign to coincide with the Ranger Force’s claimed bicentennial. Several times a week, we will post information about Ranger actions on our website and in twitter threads. The posts will draw on scholarship on the Rangers,
RTF announces “On This Day in Ranger History” campaign for 2023 Read More »
December 18, 1922, a century ago today, Texas Rangers and mounted U.S. Customs officers policing the border killed a group of suspected mounted liquor smugglers in Zapata County. Rather than engage the suspects in the open, or make an arrest and put the men on trial for violating Prohibition, Texas Ranger Captain William L. Wright prepared
As the bicentennial celebration for the Texas Rangers is on the horizon, audiences will witness the discussions on the folklore, myths, and violence play out in the media. Texas Monthly, for example, recently published several articles that highlight the legacy of the Ranger in Texas history. RTF founder Trinidad Gonzales wrote “Texas Rangers Bicentennial is a Time
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum appears to have removed language praising one of its honorees for tracking down people fleeing bondage for freedom in Mexico. For years, it has praised William “Bigfoot” Wallace for tracking down those risking everything to gain their freedom. “Wallace’s skills were often put to use trailing runaway slaves trying
Ranger Hall of Fame Removes Praise of Slave-Catching Read More »
