The Republic of the Sierra Madre

Fiery San Antonian José María Carvajal refuses to give up the dream of a northeastern Mexican republic, only to be defeated by his old commander, Antonio Canales. Carvajal - and his reputation - recover in the turmoil of the French Intervention, however, and he rises to his own moment in the sun as the regional hegemon of Tamaulipas. For a few years.

Photo: Arista's Campaign Map, 1840, Courtesy Benson Latin American Collection, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, The University of Texas at Austin. www.BrandonSeale.com