Canary Island settlers founded Texas's first civilian government in San Antonio in 1731

By order of King Philip V of Spain, 56 colonists from the Canary Islands traveled more than a year by sea and land to reach San Antonio de Béxar. They arrived March 9, 1731. Led by Juan Leal Goraz, the group formed sixteen families. On July 2, 1731, they began laying out the villa of San Fernando de Béxar. On August 1, they elected Goraz as their first alcalde (mayor).

The Spanish Crown honored the settlers' sacrifice with a rare title. A Viceroy's decree named them and their descendants 'Hijos Dalgo,' or Persons of Nobility. The site they chose is today's Main Plaza in downtown San Antonio, known historically as the Plaza de las Islas Canarias. Family names like Leal, Curbelo, Santos, and others appear throughout San Antonio history.

These settlers joined soldiers, missionaries, and Mexican frontiersmen already living in the area. Early tensions arose over land and water. Over the next century, Spanish, Canary Islander, and Indigenous ancestry mixed and formed the foundation of the Tejano identity that is central to San Antonio culture today. Read the full story at bexar.org/3673 and the TSHA Handbook at tshaonline.org.