Use the excerpt to answer the question.

Question

“The government lacks the resources to give each soldier enough to sustain [support] him, and this fact has not caused desertion to decrease. On this date 311 men are missing from the . . . division. . . . I have ordered the paymaster . . . to purchase and bring here the 150 loads of flour for the relief . . . of the [soldiers]. . . . I have absolutely nothing on hand . . . and the entire population is in the same unfortunate condition.”

—Antonio Martinez, Spanish Governor of Texas, Letter to General Joaquin Arredondo, June 19, 1820

How can historians use and manage information about the lack of food and other resources mentioned in Governor Martinez’s letter to determine how the Mexican settlement of Texas contrasted from the earlier Spanish settlement of this region?

(1 point)
Responses

Mexico placed former Spanish missions in Texas under civilian control.
Mexico placed former Spanish missions in Texas under civilian control.

Mexico abandoned the Spanish plan of building presidios to defend local settlements.
Mexico abandoned the Spanish plan of building presidios to defend local settlements.

Mexico offered soldiers from the United States Army cheap land to defend the Texas frontier.
Mexico offered soldiers from the United States Army cheap land to defend the Texas frontier.

Mexico required Tejano settlers to defend themselves against a possible French invasion.

Answer 1

Historians can analyze Governor Martinez's letter, specifically the references to the lack of food and resources, to draw contrasts between the Mexican and earlier Spanish settlements in Texas. The situation described in the letter suggests that the Mexican government faced significant challenges in providing for its soldiers and sustaining settlements, which may indicate a shift in policy and resource allocation compared to the Spanish period.

One major difference is that during the Spanish colonial period, there was a more structured military presence and resources allocated to support missions and presidios. Conversely, the Mexican government seemed less equipped to support its military and civilian population, suggesting a decline in that infrastructure.

Among the responses provided, the most relevant is:

Mexico abandoned the Spanish plan of building presidios to defend local settlements.

This captures the contrast between the earlier Spanish emphasis on military fortifications for defense and the current situation under Mexican governance, where such resources or strategies seem to be lacking. This observation could guide historians in understanding broader shifts in governance, military strategy, and resource management between the two periods.