Conflict and Commerce on the Rio Grande

Laredo, 1775-1955

978-1-60344-042-4 Cloth
6 x 9 x 0 in
304 pp. 20 b&w photos., 5 maps., 26 figs.
Pub Date: 10/06/2008
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2009 Honorable Mention for the Clotilde P. Garcia Tejano Book Prize, presented by the Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin 2008 Jim Parish Award for Documentation and Publication of Local and Regional History, presented by the Webb County Heritage Foundation
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.

Canseco-Keck History Series

Published by Texas A&M University Press