The city of San Antonio is one of the oldest Spanish settlements in Texas and has been, for decades, its largest city. It is a place where the history of Texas began, connecting its Mexican origins to an American future. San Antonio is a city with a rich history that dates back to the late 16th century when Europeans first entered South and Central Texas. This article will explore the history of San Antonio, from early Spanish explorations to Mexican rule and the Republic of Texas. The fall of the Aztec Tenochtitlán, the conquest and rise of New Spain and Mexico were the foundations of San Antonio.
The city was founded two hundred years later, emerging from these events with echoes of the first encounters between the indigenous and Spanish worlds and the rise of a mixed race settlement. This historic pedigree turned San Antonio into the place where modern Texas would be born. For decades, San Antonio was the largest city in Texas and its population overshadowed that of other cities in the state. This unofficially marked San Antonio as the state capital and radio station conglomerates changed their format to reflect demographic changes. The city is home to four Fortune 500 companies and the South Texas Medical Center, which is the only provider of research and health care in the South Texas region. San Antonio is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of its neighboring city, Austin, the state capital, about 190 miles (310 km) west of Houston and about 250 miles (400 km) south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
This month marks 300 years since its founding and celebrations have included expectations adorned with bright colors, remarkable creative manifestations, profound historical reflections and an unmistakable ambivalence. The city hosts the NCAA American football Alamo Bowl every December at the Alamodome. It also has a new attraction located inside the Shops at Rivercenter in downtown San Antonio - one of Merlin's Sea Life aquariums. An agreement has freed up 3,486 acres (14.11 km) of land from the San Antonio ETJ north of I-10 to Schertz. San Antonio receives around 32 million tourists a year and is home to several universities such as The University of Texas at San Antonio, The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, and The University of The Incarnate Word which includes The Rosenberg School of Optometry. It also has two newspapers - The San Antonio Light owned by Hearst Corporation and The Express-News owned by News Corp. The smaller population of the San Antonio metropolitan area has so far contributed to the lack of an NFL, MLB, NHL or MLS team.
However, it is likely to prove to be a decisive community in shaping the future of Texas with its imperishable Mexican environment and continued growth of its Latino population. And then, once he becomes an accomplished citizen of San Antonio, he appears recorded in a final census as Spanish, an example of the fungibility of identity and prestige early in San Antonio's history.
