How Texas Helped Gain Independence: A Forgotten Ally on the Frontier

While Texas did not yet exist as a U.S. state during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the land and people that would one day form Texas played a quiet yet pivotal role in aiding the American cause for independence. Then a sparsely populated region of Spanish Louisiana, Texas was part of the Spanish Empire—and Spain would become an indirect but influential ally in the fight against Britain.

Spain Joins the Fight (1779)

In 1779, Spain formally declared war on Britain—not as a direct ally of the American revolutionaries, but as a strategic move to reclaim territories lost during the Seven Years’ War. Spain, led by King Charles III and acting through Louisiana Governor Bernardo de Gálvez, launched military campaigns along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast that distracted British forces and disrupted supply lines.

Tejas (Texas) as a Supply Base

Although far from the main theaters of war, the province of Spanish Tejas (Texas) became a valuable support center. Most notably:

• Texas cattle fed the troops: In 1779 and again in 1781, cattle drives originating from ranches in San Antonio and La Bahía (modern Goliad) brought thousands of head of cattle eastward to feed Spanish and American troops fighting British forces. These cattle were driven to Louisiana to support Gálvez’s army during campaigns in Baton Rouge, Natchez, Mobile, and Pensacola.

• Spanish Tejanos provided materials: Texas also provided horses, leather goods, and funds through the Spanish colonial infrastructure. Tejano ranchers and settlers, often under orders from Spanish military officers, made significant contributions to logistical operations.

Bernardo de Gálvez: Spain’s Secret Weapon

Governor Gálvez’s victories in the Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast regions would not have been possible without the support of distant provinces like Texas. His 1781 victory at Pensacola, the British capital of West Florida, was decisive and helped secure the southern frontier of the new American nation.

President George Washington later acknowledged Gálvez’s contribution. Gálvez himself would be honored as a hero, and he remains one of only a few foreign-born individuals to have a statue in the U.S. Capitol.

Legacy

Though Texas would not become part of the United States for another 60 years, the role it played—through its resources, people, and connection to Spanish efforts—helped tilt the balance during a critical time. Today, few Americans realize that the cattle trails of South Texas once served as lifelines to liberty on the distant battlefields of the American Revolution.