Tricentennial

A&M-SA’s Archives and Special Collections to showcase original document from 1733 establishing San Antonio as a city

SAN ANTONIO (April 30, 2018)— To mark the significance of San Antonio’s Commemorative Week and the Tricentennial year, the University of Guadalajara will loan Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) the original San Antonio Constitutive Act document from 1733. This manuscript contains the order from Juan de Acuña, Marquis of Casa Fuerte and Viceroy of New Spain, giving possession of the lands in the San Antonio de Béxar site to the 16 Canarian families that had already settled there. This document formally granted permission to establish the city of San Antonio with a governing body.

The historic manuscript will make its San Antonio debut at the Founder’s Day Gala at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on May 3, 2018. It will then go on exhibit through September 2018 at the Presidio Gallery, the new downtown home for A&M-SA’s Archives and Special Collections.

“We are proud to showcase this treasure in the Presidio Gallery because it is a key piece of the puzzle that makes up San Antonio’s remarkable 300-year history,” says Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of A&M-SA and president of the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission. “This centuries-old manuscript will provide educational opportunities for students, researchers, community members and visitors alike.”

A&M-SA recently expanded its Archives and Special Collections with materials donated by Bexar County Judge Nelson W. Wolff, including his personal collections of political records and artifacts. These collections feature documents related to significant historical events during Judge Wolff’s tenure as Mayor of San Antonio from 1991 and 1995.

Presidio Gallery’s current exhibit, “San Antonio as a Crossroads: 300 Years of an Evolving Frontier Community,” is on display through December 2018. The gallery is open for school field trips and small-group tours Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a field trip, guided tour, or to make a research appointment with the archives, please contact A&M-SA Archives and Special Collections at 210-784-1512 or archivesandsc@tamusa.edu.

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About Texas A&M University-San Antonio
With a nearly 700-acre campus to expand into, the Military Embracing™ university welcomed its inaugural freshman class in August 2016 and is now a comprehensive four-year university. Currently enrolling approximately 6,500 students, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing universities in the state. To learn more, visit tamusa.edu.