Models of Migration: The Historiography of the Irish Pioneers in South Texas

THE STORY OF THE IRISH PIONEER SETTLERS WHO ARRIVED IN THE Mexican province of Coahuila y Texas in the period 1829 to 1834 combines the extraordinary twin features of monumental tragedy and unparalleled success. What was a dream for many would-be Irish colonists, of acquiring land in an earthly paradise, turned into a nightmare, involving war, disease and death. For those that survived cholera, shipwreck, war and revolution, an opportunity existed through the provision of generous land grants to fulfill the promise of independent fortunes within their own lifetimes and for the generations that followed. A more detailed narrative account is included after a discussion of models