Confirmation And Settlement Process In San Antonio
Description
Form popularity
FAQ
City of San Antonio In FY 2022, the city of San Antonio's debt totaled $18.5 billion.
This name change of San Antonio for the original Villa was confirmed on June 5, 1837. On December 14, 1837, the old settlement of San Antonio de Valero, in the county of Bexar, was declared a "body politic and corporate" with the title of "City of San Antonio."
The first Spanish-speaking settlers began to group around the San Antonio River in 1718 when the mission and presidio (fort) were established.
Spain's primary goals in establishing a settlement in San Antonio were to provide travelers “an intermediate point on the long route between… the missions…in eastern Texas and those on the Rio Grande” and to provide defense “against any further French designs on the Matagorda Bay region” (Hoffman 1935: 4).
It was selected for its proximity to the San Antonio River, which provided a reliable water source and fertile land for agriculture. This settlement quickly became a focal point for Spanish missions, including the establishment of Mission San Antonio de Valero, now famously known as the Alamo.
Other Spanish missions such as the ones in east Texas near Nacogdoches, were recalled or abandoned due to Native American attacks and economic troubles. To protect these missions, the Spanish constructed military forts called presidios, a Spanish military fortification, and a center of power that provided defense.
Early development in San Antonio, including at the first site of Mission San Antonio de Valero, was temporary in nature and was influenced by many factors including geography, proximity to water, and defensive concerns.