Conflict And Commerce On The Rio Grande

by Adams, John A., Jr.

• ISBN13: 9781603440424
• ISBN10: 1603440429
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-30
• Publisher: Texas A & M Univ Pr

Summary

Laredo is a city at the crossroads of North American history. Founded by the Spanish in 1755, it has stood at the intersection of regional commerce since its earliest days. Now, John A. Adams, Jr. provides the first-ever panoramic business and economic history of Laredo. He traces the evolution of the region from its early days as a ranching center into the mid-twentieth century, when Laredo had become what it remains today: a booming port of trade and a principal center of commerce and financial services on the southern border of the United States. In Commerce and Conflict on the Rio Grande Adams demonstrates how the increasingly diversified economy of the region fed the fortunes of the city. His narrative, buttressed throughout by tables and statistics, paints a vivid mural of both the economic forces and the farsighted and ambitious individuals that combined to bring prosperity to this unique American city. Readers will find a wealth of insights into regional economics, history, and borderlands themes.

Table of Contents

Tables, Maps, and Figures

La Villa de San Agustin de Laredo

The Swelling Storm

War on the Rio Grande

Gateway to International Commerce

Ore, Onions, and Oil

War, Floods, and Trade

Epilogue

Laredo Population, 1755-2005

Banking, 1880-2005

English and Spanish Measures

Peso-Dollar Valuation, 1900-2006

"The Streets of Laredo"

Glossary and Terms

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index

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