History of Mexico

Use this guide to find primary and secondary sources for the study of all periods of Mexican history.

History of Mexico and the Texas-Mexico Border

Texas history is closely entwined with that of Mexico.  UTSA Special Collections focuses on materials relating to the Texas-Mexico border region, but holds titles on other areas as well.

Sons of the Republic of Texas, Kathryn Stoner O'Connor Book Collection

The Sons of the Republic of Texas Kathryn Stoner O'Connor book collection consists of over 1,500 rare books and pamphlets, predominantly in Spanish, documenting Mexican history.  Of particular note is the 1745 edition of the multi-volume work by the Reverend Benito Geronymo Feyjo, Cartas Eruditas, y Curiosas...Del Teatro Critico Universal... on the history of theater.  Also of note is Basilio José Arrillaga's Recopilación de Leyes...de la Republica Mexicana, published throughout the 1830s, and the 1883 edition of Historia de México by Lucas Alamán.

This collection is owned by the Sons of the Republic of Texas and placed in curatorship with UTSA LIbraries' Special Collections Department.  Approximately 1,300 books have been cataloged; to browse this portion of the collection, search Library Quick Search for "Kathryn Stoner O'Connor Collection." 

Related Manuscript Collection: The Sons of the Republic of Texas Kathryn Stoner O'Connor Mexican Manuscript Collection

The Sons of the Republic of Texas Kathryn Stoner O’Connor Mexican Manuscript Collection includes more than 5,400 printed and manuscript documents from the sixteenth to the twentieth Centuries, documenting the social, political, and religious life in central Mexico. 

Documents include items by or about the Kings of Spain, two emperors of Mexico, Viceroys of Mexico, and Presidents of Mexico and the United States.  Other items include financial records, personal and business correspondence, censuses, and maps. 

For more information, consult the finding aid or explore digitized materials.

Related Microfilm Collection: The Sons of the Republic of Texas Kathryn Stoner O'Connor Collection

This microfilm collection consists of 198 rolls of microfilm from the following collections:

  • The Bexar Archives consists of over 80 linear feet of Spanish and Mexican records relating to the governance of Texas and is one of the most important sources for the history of Texas prior to 1836.  The Archives have been housed at the University of Texas at Austin since 1899.  Recently the Briscoe Center for American History began digitizing the Bexar Archives and providing transcriptions and translations for select items.
  • The Laredo Archives consists of 3,245 documents recording the history of Laredo from its founding in 1755 to 1848, when it became part of the United States.  The Laredo Archives are held by St. Mary's University in San Antonio.
  • The Henry Raup Wagner Collection consists of correspondence and documents relating to Mexico's northeastern frontier from 1707-1847, with particular focus on Texas.  The Henry Raup Wagner Collection is held by Yale University. 
  • Select documents from the Archivo Historico Nacional in Madrid and the Archivo General de Siminacas.
  • Select documents from elsewhere related to Texas and Mexican history.

This microfilm collection is available in the Special Collections Reading Room on the 4th floor of the John Peace Library.

The Sebron Sneed Wilcox Papers, 1749-1968

The Sebron Sneed Wilcox papers span the years 1749 through 1968 and consist of his collected and written documents regarding the history of Laredo, Texas, including Wilcox's transcriptions of pages of the Laredo Archives. The papers are arranged into six series:


  • The History series includes papers describing the lives of the early settlers in Laredo, Indian affairs, and information about a variety of public personas. Included in the History series are the Lamar Papers and related military information.
  • The Lawsuits and Trials series include papers that Wilcox collected and organized during his time as a law clerk. These cover Texas land disputes, sales and claims. This series also includes criminal cases, divorces and murder trials, and a variety of miscellaneous cases ranging from railroad company issues to recent attempts to reclaim land.
  • The Celebrations and Speeches series consists of various Laredo celebratory events and speeches collected by Wilcox. This series includes the centennial celebration in Laredo (1936), the International Bridge dedication ceremony (1922) and a span of ten years of Washington's Birthday celebrations (1939-1940, 1946-1949). The speeches encompass such topics as education, public funding, political and celebratory.
  • The Correspondence series is a collection of letters written or collected by Wilcox. Many are letters to and from the different historical societies dealing with Laredo history. These records encompass topics such as judges and politicians, land disputes and land surveys.
  • The Memorabilia series consists mainly of articles, dating 1839–1971, with topics concerning the times and lives of the people in Laredo. Also included in this series are photo albums, souvenir collections and papers relating to various historical foundations.
  • The largest series is the Laredo Archives. Wilcox transcribed some of the documents in the Laredo Archives. The transcriptions are in Castilian Spanish. Wilcox perhaps planned to publish his typewritten notes and transcriptions, but never did, however; this is categorized in what is believed to be Wilcox's original volume order, 1-37.