On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 250th is also known as the United States Semiquincentennial, the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, America250, and the Quarter Millennium. Nationwide festivities will mark various events leading up to Independence Day 2026. The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past and obtain a greater understanding to honor the contributions of Texas toward the American Revolution. While Texas wasn’t yet an independent entity during the American Revolution (1775–1783), it was part of New Spain (Nuevo España).

Evening Speaker Series & Wine Reception:

"Spain, United States Independence, and the Strategy that Made it Possible" by Speaker and Author Thomas E. Chávez

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Join author Thomas E. Chávez on Wednesday, November 12, at 6:00 PM, as he shares his research about how Spain supported our country’s independence. Chávez was the former director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, and the former curator and director of the Palace of the Governors, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe. He has authored many publications and books on related topics. The evening will begin with a wine reception at The Heritage Society’s museum gallery at 1100 Bagby Street.

The role of Spain in the birth of the United States is a little known and little understood aspect of U.S. independence. Through actual fighting, provision of supplies, and money, Spain helped the young British colonies succeed in becoming an independent nation. Soldiers were recruited from all over the Spanish empire, from Spain itself and from throughout Spanish America. Many died fighting British soldiers and their allies in Central America, the Caribbean, along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis and as far north as Michigan, along the Gulf Coast to Mobile and Pensacola, as well as in Europe.

Based on primary research in the archives of Spain, this book is about United States history at its very inception, placing the war in its broadest international context. In short, the information in this book should provide a clearer understanding of the independence of the United States, correct a longstanding omission in its history, and enrich its patrimony. It will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the Revolutionary War and in Spain's role in the development of the Americas.

Past Events

Countdown to July 4, 2026…

The Heritage Society presents a series of activities as a prelude to the 250th Anniversary

Honoring Army, Navy and Marines 250th Anniversaries

New Texas America250 Exhibit from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC)

TSLAC Chair, Dr. Martha Wong will speak and be on hand for the launch alongside State Archivist Jelain Chubb and Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center Manager Alana Inman for the launch of the new exhibit on Saturday, August 23, at 3:00 p.m., during Happy Birthday Houston taking place in our museum gallery.

Dr. Martha Wong, TSLAC Chair and member of the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, housed on Texas Woman’s University's campus. Wong has served on TSLAC since 2015 and was appointed chair by Governor Greg Abbott in January 2020. A longtime educational leader in Texas and the greater Houston area, Wong is a former educator and administrator as well as a former state representative and Houston city council member.

Join us on Wednesday July 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM for speaker John Espinosa, Governor General - Member of the Houston Chapter, Los Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez. The speaking engagement will be preceded with a wine reception and Spanish tapas. This speaker event was generously sponsored in part by the Summerlee Foundation.

“I grew up as a Hispanic boy in East Houston. In school, I learned all about the Boston Tea Party, about Paul Revere, and all that happened up north in the thirteen colonies. But they never told me about Gálvez or the pivotal role of Spain and the Gulf Coast in the American Revolution.” Espinosa will illuminate the accomplishments of General Bernardo De Gálvez of Spain, a great hero of our country’s war for independence. He will also perpetuate the memory of the Spanish soldiers who fought during the American Revolution and share facts about how Gálvez ordered cattle in advance of mounting his campaign against the British.

Did you know Spain chose to join the war against England primarily out of global political strategy? Three places played into their thinking: Menorca, an island off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean; Gibraltar, a point in southern Spain guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean; and the large region of the Mississippi Valley known as Louisiana. In 1776, as the result of centuries of conflict, the British controlled Menorca and Gibraltar – key to Spain’s defense of its coast – and the French held Louisiana – a potentially lucrative source of raw materials. When France agreed to return Louisiana as part of an alliance, Spain entered the War on the Franco-American side.

About the Organization- Los Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez was founded during the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976 to research and understand the pivotal, yet unpublicized role of Spain -- and the contributions of her King and her people -- to the colonists’ victory in the American Revolution. In this endeavor, our organization labors to teach about this important, but forgotten, aspect of American history.

Tickets include free parking at 212 Dallas Street, wine and tapas reception, and three museum gallery exhibits.

June 15, 2026 - TXDAR American Revolution Experience Exhibit sponsored in part by the Daughters of the American Revolution, this state-traveling exhibit will run for approximately one month.