Publication Date

Spring 5-6-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in History & Political Thought, History Concentration (MA)

Department

History

Committee Chair

Dr. Jerry Don Thompson

Committee Member

Deborah L. Blackwell

Committee Member

Simon Zschirnt

Committee Member

Alfonso R. Vergaray

Abstract

ABSTRACT

'Good Old John Decker': Confronting Entrepreneurial Challenges In The Mid-Nineteenth Century Rio Grande Borderlands (May 2025)

Grace C. Maciel, M.A., Texas A&M International University

Chair of Committee: Dr. Jerry Thompson

This thesis presents the first scholarly study of John Decker, a French-born immigrant whose rise as a merchant and civic figure in the 19th-century U.S.–Mexico borderlands offers a compelling case of adaptability, resilience, and immigrant success. Settling in Rio Grande City and Camargo, Tamaulipas, Decker built a lasting presence during a period marked by regional volatility, navigating war, revolution, and economic transformation. His story is explored across five chapters, tracing his journey from arrival to lasting influence. The study analyzes the key factors behind Decker’s success and his strategies to adapt to the borderlands' unpredictable political and economic conditions. Drawing from a range of primary sources, including archival collections at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as regional newspapers and correspondence, this thesis reconstructs Decker’s rise in the merchant trade, with special attention to his partnership with José San Román, a leading figure in cross-border commerce. Decker’s cultural adaptability, political engagement, and strategic mindset are central to overcoming linguistic and social barriers, ultimately securing a prominent role in Civil War-era transnational trade. This study also highlights Decker’s entry into the global transatlantic market. Decker’s experience challenges dominant historical narratives that often overlook the contributions of European immigrants to the Texas frontier. His ability to persist, thrive, and remain anchored in the region for nearly four decades, while most French immigrants were unable to do so, highlights his significance to the region's development and the history of South Texas. This study not only recovers the legacy of an unknown historical figure but also contributes to a broader understanding of immigrant agency in shaping the economic and cultural landscape of South Texas. Ultimately, it argues that the development of the borderlands was shaped not only by dominant Anglo-American colonizers or aristocratic Mexican elites but also by immigrant pioneers who made the frontier their own.

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