A Fresh Look at the Fort Parker Raid of 1836

A Public Lecture by Dr. Daniel Gelo, Professor of Anthropology, Stumberg Distinguished University Chair, and Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at the University of Texas at San Antonio

Sponsored by the Department of History and the Center for the Study of the Southwest, Texas State University

Wednesday, March 29, at 3:30 pm

Brazos Hall, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas

Texas was an independent Republic for just a few years, between 1836 and 1846. This relatively short time span was, however, particularly prolific in producing frontier myths, heroes, and antiheroes, some of which have resisted the test of time surprisingly well. The Comanche Indians of the southern plains are doubtlessly one of the most enduring icons of that mythical legacy. On May 19, 1836, an Indian raid on Fort Parker, in today’s Limestone County, Texas, resulted in the killing and capture of several Anglo settlers, including Cynthia Ann Parker –future mother of the famous Comanche leader Quanah. This fabled incident has become one of the foundational myths of the Texas Republic. Dr. Gelo’s careful scrutiny of eyewitness accounts, and his understanding of indigenous geopolitical strategies at the time will reveal what actually happened at Fort Parker, the exact identity of the attackers, and what their motivations were, redressing both the standard account of the raid and some recent interpretations.