Lower Rio Grande Valley

Pre-Spanish colonization Native peoples lived in small tribes in the area before the Spanish conquest. The native tribes in South Texas were known to be hunter-gatherer peoples. The area was known for its smaller nomadic tribes collectively called Coahuiltecan. Spanish colonization Initially, the Spanish had a hard time conquering the area due to the differences in native languages, so they mainly focused on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico also known as the Seno Mexicano. Also, a major conflict existed on who would conquer the region. Antonio Ladrón de Guevara wanted to colonize the region, but the Viceroy of New Spain José Tienda de Cuervo doubted Ladrón de Guevara's character, eventually leading to a royal Spanish declaration preventing Ladrón de Guevara from participating in colonization efforts. The first villas in the region were settled in Laredo and Reynosa in 1767. The local government of the region had a rough start with various indigenous wars up until 1812. In 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence, the state was renamed Tamaulipas. Republic of Texas and annexation by the United States The Texas Revolution of 1835–1836 put the majority of what is now called the Rio Grande Valley under contested Texan sovereignty. In 1844, the United States under President James K. Polk annexed the Republic of Texas, against British and Mexican sentiments, contributing to the onset of the Mexican–American War. The war ended in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which defined the United States' southern border as the Rio Grande. The change in government led to a mass migration from Tamaulipas to the United States side of the river. Early 1900s and the Mexican Revolution in 1916 At the turn of the 20th century trade and immigration between Mexico and the United States was a normal part of society. Droughts in the 1890s and early 1900s caused smaller farmers and cattle ranchers to lose their lands. Rich white settlers brought by the railroad bought the land and displaced the Tejano ranchers. Meanwhile, across the river, Mexico was dealing with the Mexican Revolution. Initially the agency was focused on import and export business, especially alcohol during Prohibition in the United States, but later moved to detaining illegal aliens. along the Rio Grande The region had a significant increase of Border Patrol agents during World War I in conjunction with the Zimmermann Telegram. The Texas Rangers also increased their presence as law enforcement in the region with a new class of Ranger that focused on determining Tejano loyalty. They were often violent, carrying out retaliatory murders. There were two major military training facilities in the Valley in Brownsville and Harlingen during World War II. Post-World War II to present officers on horseback near McAllen, Texas The North American Free Trade Agreement, also known as NAFTA, was established in 1994 as a trade agreement between the three North American countries, The United States, Mexico, and Canada. NAFTA was supposed to increase trade with Mexico as they lowered or eliminated tariffs on Mexican goods. Exports and imports tripled in the region and accounted for a trade surplus of $75 billion. According to Akinloye Akindayomi in Drug violence in Mexico and its impact on the fiscal realities of border cities in Texas: evidence from Rio Grande Valley counties, NAFTA also indirectly aids the rise in immigration and drug smuggling practices between cartels in the region, with cartels profiting with over $80 billion. After the September 11 attacks, the Customs Border Security Act of 2001 established United States Border Patrol interior checkpoints with some situated at the north end of the Rio Grande Valley. The organization We Build the Wall built a section of the border wall in the Valley. Residents expressed concerns about the project including the site's proximity to the National Butterfly Center and the Rio Grande with its potential for seasonal flooding. The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission ordered We Build the Wall to stop until they can review whether or not the construction violates a Treaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary between the United States and Mexico signed in 1970. ==Geography==