Juan N. Seguin: Texas Hero

3094 Words7 Pages

When studying Texas History there are names such as Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and William Barrett Travis that are often brought up into discussion. These men had rolls of vital importance to the cause of revolution; however, other names such as Juan Nepomuceno Seguin may be much more obscure to those unaware of the rolls that such men played. Juan Seguin is mostly remembered as the currier to whom William Barrett Travis commissioned with the delivery of a letter to General Sam Houston requesting reinforcements and whose words were so inspiring that it may have given the Texans the push they needed to claim victory over the Mexican President Santa Anna. After independence was achieved from Mexico, Texas formed its own government in which Seguin served as a member of the Texas Senate. Seguin eventually lost all credibility and was forced to flee to Mexico because of accusations of betrayal. Was Juan Seguin’s participation in the Texas revolution limited to his delivery of the Travis letter to Sam Houston? Other than his participation at the Alamo and at San Jacinto, how significant of a part did Juan Seguin play in the Texas revolution? What lead to Seguin’s fall from favor in the eyes of the Texas government and earned him the label of traitor? Juan Seguin was born into a politically prominent family in 1806 to Juan Jose Maria Erasmo de Jesus and Maria Josefa Becerra. From an early age Seguin was entrusted by his father to handle certain business and political affairs. “During the time his father served as Texas deputy of the Constituent Congress, Juan handled the postmaster’s duties, helped his mother tend to the fields, and to some degree acted as intermediary between Erasmo and Austin.” Seguin’s father, Erasmo, worked with St... ... middle of paper ... ...er him as the hero is was and not the man he was accused of becoming. Works Cited Juan Nepomuceno Seguin. Lifetime Learning Systems. 1996. http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/bios/seguin/seguin.html (accessed November 26, 2013). Ramos, Raul A. Beyond the Alamo: Forging Mexican Ethnicity in San Antonio, 1821-1861. The University of North Carolina Press. 2008. Regan, Geoffrey. ""Victory or Death" at the Alamo, 1836." Heroes of Battle, 2003: p106-113. Seguin, Juan N. The Personal Memoirs of John N. Seguin. San Antonio: The Ledger Book and Job Office, 1858. Teja, Jesus F. De La. A Revolution Remembered: The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguin. Austin: State House Press, 1991. Texas State Library and Archives Commission. August 31, 2011. https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/giants/seguin/seguin-01.html (accessed November 26, 2013).

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