2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT, May 20, 2011
This review is from: The Presidio: Bastion of the Spanish Borderlands (Paperback)
Let's face it, you almost have to allow 4-stars for this scholarly book as there is little else available on the Presidio of the Northern Frontier. The root for the word 'Presidio' is to be found in ancient Rome (Latin) as 'praesidium' or a 'garrisoned place'. For the Spanish, the Presidio was a unit of after 1570 for the 23 forts of the Indian frontier of Northern Mexico. Originally the 23 forts in total contained 1006 officers and men.
The Presidio came in several different types (fuertes, castillos, presidio) based upon their size and use. Defensive in nature, over time the forts doubled in size and then redoubled again. From its early beginnings the Presidio generally caused a town to develop around the unit as the Presidio often became the nucleus of activity. After the Aztec War (circa 1540s) the Presidio was introduced primarily to offer protection for the area's rich silver mines and to protect the roads used for transport. Later in time, however, the Presidio was hoped to dissuade other nations from intruding into Spanish territory, aimed mainly at France and other nations seeking to colonize regions of the Spanish Borderlands.
Early Presidios were spaced near one another 6 to 26 miles apart and could be staffed by as few as 6 to 14 men. Once again, through time, this could grow in some Presidios to as many as 50 to 100 men. Several of the chapters in the book detail reports and studies of that time that attempted to reduce both the need for the forts or lower the costs to the royal treasury to continue them. Some of the annual costs given, a cost which continued to grow no matter what was done, was from a beginning cost per year in 1724 of 444,883 pesos to a cost of more than 485,015 in 1764.
Due to wholesale slashing of pesos after the Reglamento of 1729, the cost was reduced to 381,930 pesos. Yet by the time of the Reglamento of 1772 due mainly to Indian attacks, the cost in pesos continued to escalate. It is important to note, that neither the Reglamento of 1729 or the Reglamento of 1772, in the author's words, "did nothing to strengthen the defenses of the Northern Frontier".
The costs of 450 pesos per year for the soldiers and additional pesos for the officers are included in these payroll totals, yet the individual soldier saw very little of the his yearly pay as it was either siphoned off as it came down the line from Spain or was kept by his local officers who took it upon themselves to supply the essential items needed by the soldiers at terribly inflated costs, thereby cheating the soldier and enriching the officer. Many soldiers eventually went into debt serving on these frontier posts. The situation got so far out of hand, it was even reported in the Reglamento of 1772 that many soldiers not only lacked uniforms but were without "horses, arms, or ammunition". Neither did the Presidio or the Reglamento to study them effectively "solve the basic problem of Frontier defense". In a word they failed in effectiveness to do what the Spanish desired.
To round out the chapters of Part I are several pages (plano) showing 21 plates for various Presidios. Part II then considers the forts, the payrolls, civilian settlements, and Indian reservations in turn.
This book concerning the Spanish Borderlands Presidios is a serious look at the manner in which Spain and Mexico tried to first defend themselves against the various hostile tribes and eventually against all non-Spanish peoples who desired settlement. The writer spent many years of study to enable this book to be written. He also went on to write several other books on the Spanish Borderlands.
If a reader has any interest in the Spanish Borderlands, especially from 1540 up to the late 1700s this is a book that will greatly aid in that effort. Today it still remains one of few serious studies of that subject and period.
Semper Fi.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent study., April 30, 2010
This review is from: The Presidio: Bastion of the Spanish Borderlands (Paperback)
The author did (in my opinion) an excellent job of pulling together and summarizing a great deal of material to produce a good study of the origins and history of Spanish presidios in N. America and the soldados that occupied them. Abundant info about the pay system of the soldados became a bit tedious, but was information I had found nowhere else. I recommend it.
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