HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Jose Antonio Navarro

San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Marker Inscription

A signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Born in San Antonio February 27, 1795. Died January 13, 1871. His wife Margarita De La Garza Navarro. Born October 17, 1801. Died July 8, 1861. Erected by the State of Texas 1936

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Born in San Antonio in 1795, Jose Antonio Navarro was a Tejano statesman and one of the few native-born Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. He devoted his life to the cause of Texas and the rights of its Mexican-descended citizens through the turbulent transitions from Mexican rule to republic to statehood. This marker, erected by the State of Texas in 1936, honors him and his wife, Margarita De La Garza Navarro.

Why it matters

Navarro stands among the founding fathers of Texas and a symbol of the Tejano contribution to the state's independence and identity.

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Related people

  • · Jose Antonio Navarro
  • · Margarita De La Garza Navarro

Related events

  • · Texas Declaration of Independence

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