Juan Cheno Cortin The Aftermath Of The Mexican-American War

Juan "Cheno" Cortina
The aftermath of the Mexican-American war proved to be extremely disadvantageous for Mexicans living in U.S. territory. Many Mexican people were displaced from legal and political positions and replaced by Anglo authorities. Constantly Anglos committed crimes against Mexicans without fear of penalty. A reoccurring crime was the defrauding grantees of land from Mexican owners. A man named Juan Nepomuceno Cortina is known for his efforts against Anglo offenses. Juan Nepomuceno “Cheno” Cortina was born at Camargo, Tamaupilas (Mexico), in 1824. His father was Trinidad Cortina; his mother was Estéfana Goseacochea whom had inherited many lands in both territories. He moved to the north of Rio Grande sometime around the 1840’s. Unfortunately Cortina lost vast amounts of his mother’s land after the United States annexed all territory north of Rio Grande in the 1850’s. Cortina is most famous for his Brownsville Texas raids however he did spend some time fighting with Benito Juarez and other Mexican advocates for political independence. He also successfully became a general in the Mexican Army in 1863. In 1876, Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz imprisoned Cortina in Mexico City, where he was held until 1890. In 1892 he died in his hometown of Tamaulipas. Cortina stands as a figure of resistance towards Anglo’s prejudice actions

On July 13, 1859 in Brownsville Texas Cortina witness a city marshal beating a former family employee. The marshal and Cortina exchanged a few words but when the marshal didn’t listen to reason he pulled out a gun and shot him in the shoulder. Two months later he freed a couple of Mexican prisoner he felt were wrongfully imprisoned as well as executed four Anglos who had killed his people without punishment. Cortina then issued a proclamation on September 30 explaining why he had taken it upon himself to avenge the crimes Anglos had committed against innocent Mexican