Contributions of Mexicans and Tejanos to the Texas War of Independence

Our San Jacinto Day podcast, recorded on April 21, 2020, celebrates the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, as a result of which Texas won its independence from Mexico.

Orlando Sanchez, Director of Texas Latino Conservatives, joined by Andrea Gomez, interviews Texas History expert, Mike Vance, about the the important contributions Mexicans and Tejanos made to the war for Texas Independence, and about the fascinating -- and sometimes tragic -- personal stories of heroes like Juan Seguin, Carlos de la Garza and Plácido Benavides. They also touch briefly on the history of Tejano music.

About Texas Latino Conservatives:

Texas Latino Conservatives is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, motivating and encouraging Texas Latinos to be involved in the political process and to helping them understand public policy.

About Mike Vance:

Mike Vance has taken a unique path to becoming a Texas historian, building on decades of work in professional media combined with a lifetime of history study. Mike is now the Creative Director at Bright Sky Publishing and the Content Coordinator for the upcoming remake of the Brenham Heritage Museum. Previously, he hosted a weekly regional history television program, co-hosted both a television sports show and an afternoon talk radio program in Houston, and performed a litany of award-winning national and regional voice-over work and script and content writing. In 2005, Vance founded Houston Arts and Media, a non-profit organization that creates innovative ways to educate Texans about their history. Through HAM, Vance wrote, produced and directed feature-length documentaries, short films, web content, and publications on Texas and Houston. HAM merged with The Heritage Society for two years (2016-2018). There he conceived and managed the notable mural Mexican-American History & Culture in 20th Century Houston and oversaw programming both on and off the Heritage Society campus in downtown Houston. Today, Mike Vance is one of the best history storytellers in Texas. The documentary work that he has written, directed and produced has been recognized by top entities around the state and has enjoyed multiple airings on Texas PBS stations and HISD-TV. His work totals seven feature-length documentaries and over 100 short educational videos. His sixth book, Mud & Money: A Timeline of Houston History, was released by Bright Sky Publishing in June 2019. It follows Murder and Mayhem in Houston that was released in October 2014 by The History Press and Houston Baseball: The Early Years: 1861-1961, from Bright Sky Press in April 2014. He also wrote Houston’s Sporting Life: 1900-1950 from Arcadia Publishing. Vance lectured for several years on Houston history topics as part of the Continuing Studies program at Rice University and currently serves on the Harris County Historical Commission where he has authored five historical markers and contributed to many others.