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Mexican American Genealogy Research
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This guide provides information on Mexican American genealogy resources and research at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). Our goal is to help researchers who are interested in accessing the records of Hispanic, Mexican, and Mexican American individuals, with a focus on those who lived in the geographic area now known as the state of Texas.
Although this webpage is organized chronologically by specific time periods, some collections described below cover more than one era. Researchers may need to explore several different collections, as researching genealogy in Texas can involve compiling information from a variety of resources.
General materials that can help with your family history research are described on our Genealogy Resources webpage.
Access Options
Most items described here are archival materials and publications available at TSLAC. Access options for these materials include:- “Archival Collections” refers to original records in the Texas State Archives collections available in the Archives Reading Room. More information is on our Before You Visit webpage.
- “Publications” in the TSLAC library collections are available in the Reference Reading Room. Some items may be available online or can be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). You can search WorldCat, a catalog of library holdings worldwide, to find available print and digitized copies, or check with your local library about ILL services.
A note about terminology: on this page and throughout our website, you may see the terms Hispanic, Latino/a/x, Mexican/Mexicano, Mexica, Tejano/Tejana, or Chicano/a/x used as terms change over time. For more information, visit the National Museum of the American Latino 
website.
TSLAC holds many archival records and library materials documenting the Republic of Texas and the pre-Republic era when Texas was part of Mexico and Spain. A good place to start your research is the Resources of the Republic of Texas and Pre-Republic Era (1820-1845) research guide, which presents an overview of these materials.
Researching ancestors may include finding granted, purchased, or inherited property or structures. Review the TSLAC Land and Property History research guide for sources to consider when creating your research strategy.
About Boundary Changes
TSLAC’s collections include records documenting Spanish (1773-1821) and Mexican (1821-1836) government rule that are organized according to geographic boundaries of the time (i.e. Nacogdoches Archives). These materials represent an important source of information about events and individuals prior to the creation of the Republic of Texas. As boundaries changed over time, many early records were not always transferred accordingly. Discovering genealogical information from 1600 to 1835 often requires searching multiple resources at TSLAC and elsewhere, including current local government offices.
Read more for tips on how to research county boundaries:
- Out of the Stacks blog post, “County Boundary Histories in Texas Statewide Records Project Publications”.
- Newberry Library’s website, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries , provides extensive information about Texas county historical boundary changes, including an interactive Texas map showing non-county areas.
- A Boundary Atlas of Texas, 1821-1845 by James Tiller
- Texas : a Historical Atlas by A. Ray Stephens
- Texas Boundaries : Evolution of the State's Counties by Luke Gournay
Archival Collections
Transcriptions from Spanish and Mexican Archives, 1611-1833
TSLAC holds transcripts of documents in the Archivo General de Indias 
located in Seville, Spain, dating 1611-1825, and the Archivo General de México located in Mexico City, dating 1731-1833.
The Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin also holds transcripts from these archives, with lists of documents in Spanish on-site. Contact the Briscoe Center directly for assistance with their collections.
Bexar and San Antonio Records, 1717-1836
Bexar County records dating from 1736 are available on microfilm and online. For additional Bexar County records, contact the Bexar County Clerk or Office of the City Clerk, San Antonio .
The Bexar Archives held at the Briscoe Center are official records that document the political, diplomatic, religious, military, economic, and social life of the Spanish province of Texas and the Mexican state of Coahuila y Texas. The Béxar Archives, 1717-1836 : a name guide provides an index of the records.
Camargo Documents, 1798-1941
TSLAC holds photocopies of land records for a small area near Camargo, Mexico, dating 1798-1941, bulk 1806-1810, 1830-1835. In addition, the Camargo Archives available at the Briscoe Center contain Camargo vital statistics records.
Laredo Archives Transcripts and Microfilm, 1749-1896
Original records of Spanish, Mexican, Texan, and the United States governments in the Laredo area are housed at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. TSLAC holds microfilm and transcript copies. Published indexes are available to view on-site and on the Portal to Texas History .
Related publications include:
- Las Villas del Norte : the 1757 censuses of Laredo, Dolores, Revilla, Mier, Camargo, and Reynosa by Moises Garza
- Annotated baptisms 1789 to 1823 of San Agustin de Laredo (present day Laredo, Texas) by Gloria Villa Cadena
Nacogdoches Archives, 1729-1836
The Nacogdoches archives consist of records maintained by national, regional, and local political and military officials of the Spanish and Mexican governments, dating 1729-1836. Records included are from the Provincias Internas (1776-1824) and later, the State of Coahuila y Texas; records of the Department of Nacogdoches (northeastern area of Texas), 1830-1836; and municipal records of Nacogdoches and vicinity. Until the 1830s, the records are written almost entirely in Spanish. Portions of the Nacogdoches Archives records have been digitized and are part of the TDA.
Read more for tips on how to research the Nacogdoches Archives:
- TSLAC’s Nacogdoches Archives webpage
- Out of the Stacks blog post “Hispanic Heritage in Texas: The Nacogdoches Archives”
Nuevo Leon, Mexico records, 1701-1966
These records document births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, court actions, etc. and are available on 380 reels of microfilm titled Fondo de documentación para la historia del noreste [i.e. nordeste] de México microform. You may review our Nuevo Leon microfilm reel inventory for general contents of each reel.
.TSLAC holds many archival records and library materials documenting the Republic of Texas. A good place to start your research is the Resources of the Republic of Texas and Pre-Republic Era (1820-1845) research guide, which presents an overview of these materials. Collections highlighted below contain a significant number of records that refer to individuals with Hispanic surnames.
Republic of Texas military records provide information about the activities of the Army, Navy, and Ranger units beginning with the Texas Revolution. These records document the service of individuals, including many of Hispanic heritage.
Archival Collections
Court of Claims Land Petitions, 1836-1860
TSLAC collections include petitions and related records filed by Mexican Americans submitted to the Texas Court of Claims. The commissioner of claims evaluated documents submitted by a land petitioner to determine if the petitioner would be eligible to receive land under various Texas acts and laws. Most records are rejected claims, filed by surname. Contact the Texas General Land Office for help accessing approved claims records.
Passports Issued by the Department of State, Republic of Texas, 1836-1845
Passports issued by the Republic of Texas allowed persons to freely leave and re-enter the Republic of Texas, including access to Mexico. These records consist of requests for passports, orders to issue passports, and one proclamation granting entrance into the Republic. These passports have been digitized and are part of the TDA.
Texas joined the United States as the 28th state on December 29, 1845. Records created by state government entities have information from individuals conducting business. For example, individuals may have been in a court case, served in the state guard, or sought teaching certification.
Military Records Research
TSLAC holds military records documenting activities and service of individuals and military units, including the Mexican American War, Civil War, Spanish American War, and the two World Wars.
Archival Collections
Convict Record Ledgers and Indexes, 1849-1970
Convict ledgers describe inmates of the state penitentiary in Texas. Information may include physical description, place of birth of inmate and parents, education, occupation, sentence, and how released. For example, Geronimo Flores went to prison for horse theft and was pardoned in December 1893. The Texas Department of Corrections Convict Records, 1849-1976 may be viewed online on the TDA.
Clemency Records, 1840, 1845-2009
Persons convicted of a crime in Texas may have requested or received clemency . Documents include pardon proclamations, stays of execution, and applications. Staff can check an internal index in the Archives reading room. Some Texas Secretary of State: Executive Clemency Records, 1840, 1845-2009 are available to view online in the TDA. As an example, we have a pardon application file for a Geronimo Flores, as well as a copy of the clemency proclamation.
Confederate Pension Applications, 1899-1975
The Index to Confederate Pension Applications provides the names, counties of residence, and pension numbers of 54,634 approved, rejected, and home pensions issued by the Texas government between 1899 and 1975. For example, Tomasa de Garza of Webb County received a pension due to her husband Juan Garza serving in Company D, Texas Cavalry under Colonel Santos Benavides.
Texas Legislature Joint Committee to Investigate the Texas State Ranger Force Transcript of Proceedings, 1919
Records consist of digital copies of the transcript of proceedings conducted by the committee during the Canales investigation. Representative José T. Canales instigated the investigation into Texas Ranger Force actions between 1914 and 1919, when an estimated 5,000 Hispanic individuals were killed along the Texas/Mexican border.
Texas Good Neighbor Commission Records, 1943-1987
The Good Neighbor Commission (GNC) records include documentation of how the GNC addressed discrimination in school and housing segregation and the treatment of braceros and migrant laborers. Later education records cover scholarships secured for Texan and Latin American students, visits of Mexican teachers to Texas, the teaching of Spanish in Texas schools, and sponsorship of the Pan American Student Forum.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Records, 1945-1948
The Bureau of Labor Statistics oversaw agencies that hired workers on behalf of out-of-state employers. Records contain information on individuals employed out of state, including the name, age, sex, race, home address, terms of employment, and destination of the employees. Most workers were contracted to perform agricultural labor in states to the north and west of Texas, with records including migrant labor contracts and child labor permit applications.
Annual Reports of School Funds, 1911-1957
Names and salaries of teachers and other school personnel appear in annual reports of school funds on microfilm.
Records of Professions
Many professions are regulated by the state of Texas, including teachers, physicians, pharmacists, architects, and more. Records of examining boards for professional certifications may include registers, fee books, general ledgers, and permit books which could contain information such as names and license numbers. These holdings are described in our Processed State and Local Records finding aids.Photograph and Manuscript Collections
Review the Prints and Photographs Collection for images mostly organized by event, general subject, organization, geographic location, or date. A small amount of our photographs are indexed by name.
Photograph collections relevant to Mexican American history include:
Manuscript collections that may help in your research include:
- Harbert Davenport collection contains some Mexican land grants, his research on Texas history, 1933-1955, and early families in the lower Rio Grande.
- Texas Chisos Mining Company records contain receipts for purchases made at the company store by Chisos Mining Company employees.
You can review the Manuscript Card Files for details of additional TSLAC holdings.
Publications
University catalogs and directories list students, faculty and staff associated with the school. For example, graduate assistants listed in the 1967-1968 Staff & faculty directory for Texas A&I University in Kingsville included a number of individuals with Hispanic surnames. For similar catalogs, search by author in the TSLAC online library catalog using keywords such as, “[University Name]” and check results for university catalog or directory listings.
Additional publications relevant to your Mexican American genealogy research can be searched in our online library catalog using keywords such as, “Hispanic AND Texas,” “Mexican AND Texas,” “Mexicano OR Mexicana,” “Tejano OR Tejana,” “Chicano OR Chicana,” and “Latino OR Latina.”
Benson Latin American Collection . Digital and print resources for general and archival research on Latin American, U.S. Latinx, African Diasporic, and Indigenous American communities.
Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin: Resources . An organization linking to websites for Tejano genealogy research.
Travis County Archives . County, District Court, Justice of the Peace, and Tax Assessor-Collector records for Travis County available online, beginning about 1840.
Travis County Historical Commission . Links to download historical maps and surveys, including a Mexican American Settlement Survey.
Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) . You may find additional information in the TSHA publications Handbook of Texas, Handbook of Tejano History, and Texas Almanac by searching for articles with keywords such as, “Mexican American”, as well as specific indigenous, ethnic, or cultural groups. Many articles include links and a bibliography with sources for further reading.