| The Spanish Frontier in North America: David Weber | ||
|
Copyright 1999 Adam Barnhart. All Rights Reserved. Fair use of this document.In popular memory, most conventionally, the story of the American frontier is recalled in terms of a westward migration from East to West, a pattern of migration, in the eyes of Frederick Jackson Turner and the people who have assimilated his "frontier thesis" either consciously or subconsciously, that has uniquely shaped the American experience. In The Spanish Frontier in North America, David Weber provides a broad and thoroughly researched treatment of the Spanish presence in North America, one which was coequal, if not more significant, to the English and French presence for much of the period between 1492 and 1821. Bringing the Spanish experience together with those of English, French, and the myriad Indian groups occupying the territory, Weber's work is of great utility in creating a broader understanding of the history of the borderland areas of North America.Geographically, the bulk of The Spanish Frontier in North America is focused on the Spanish presence in Florida and New Mexico. The initial exploration of the coastal Eastern United States (including, in the case of Estavão Gomes, maritime Canada and the Penobscot River), Gulf of Mexico, West Indies, and present-day Mexico is discussed in detail, along with the ramifications of the geography and cultural patterns on the early interaction between the Spanish and native populations. Spanish settlements in St. Augustine and Fort Tequesta established a foothold in Florida, while settlement in Santa Fe, Monclova, and Zacatecas rooted Spanish colonists in the Mexican theater. Over time, the sphere of Spanish occupation spreads, as does Weber's narrative, discussing expansion into Texas and the creation of missions throughout California. Throughout, Spanish interaction with the Indian population is marked by religion and warfare, often in dynamic combination. Settlements in St. Augustine and Santa Fe were surrounded by missions, paralleling the northern progression through California, where Friar Junipero Serra established a number of missions throughout the state over a century later. When not engaged in conversion, the Spanish warred sporadically with the native population, including a 1680 uprising when a unified Pueblo population forced the Spanish out of New Mexico north of El Paso in less than a month. Increasingly through time, the Spanish built military installations to protect their interests in North America. Along with fighting the Indians, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Spain fought other European nations in North America. The War of Spanish Succession, fought in 1702, expanded English power and forced Spain to relinquish power over Apalachee (part of the Florida panhandle). Fought almost two decades later, the War of the Quadruple Alliance helped reassert Spanish military might and land claims in the American southeast. The War of Jenkins' Ear, fought between 1739 and 1742, further destabilized the Spanish military and emphasized the political and economic difficulties that plagued Spanish America until Mexico gains its independence in 1821. Spain's strong mercantilist tendencies plagued the colonies and stunted their growth, and, correspondingly, military might, in comparison to the rapid growth of the other Euro-American belligerents which ultimately prevailed. Perhaps most unique about Weber's work is its presentation. Maps and images are present throughout, acting as a constant graphic reinforcement of sometimes rapid change. Weber's prose is clear and lucid without lapsing into relentless determinism. As Weber states in the book's closing pages, "How, then, are we to comprehend the meaning of the Spanish frontier? For those with an aversion to ambiguity, the current answer is not comforting."(359) Avoiding the poles of Herbert Eugene Bolton's romanticism of Spanish activity in North America and the "Black Legend" of Spanish conquest, The Spanish Frontier in American History presents an expansive and compelling, if not necessarily final, treatment of the Spanish role in creating North American history. |
|