"Texas Rising (trailer)" Topic

"Something premiering at History Channel worldwide on May 25th is dynamic new historical series TEXAS RISING which will depict the formation of the legendary Texas Rangers during the state's revolution against Mexico in five episodes. In 1836, west of the Mississippi was considered the Wild West and the Texas frontier was viewed as hell on earth. Crushed from the outside by Mexican armadas and attacked from within by ferocious Comanche tribes, no one was safe. But this was a time of bravery, a time to die for what you believed in and a time to stand tall against the cruel rule of the Mexican General Santa Anna (Olivier Martinez). General Sam Houston (Bill Paxton), the rag tag Rangers and the legendary "Yellow Rose of Texas" lead this story of the human will to win against insurmountable odds. At the end, the Texas flags stood tall and victorious, claiming a piece of history for all eternity. Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Thomas Jane, Crispin Glover, Jeremy Davies, Chad Michael Murray and Kris Kristofferson also star"
From Hollywood Spy.

YouTube link

Question: On those days… everybody can read? No matter his class condition?

Amicalement
Armand

I am not sure i understand your question. Do you mean literacy rates?

If you do then

Generally speaking literacy was not as widespread as it is today. The US had higher literacy rates then England I believe, but still around the 30ish-40th percentile.

From what I have read illiteracy in european languages was rampant among the ameridian peasants of Mexico, and literacy rate not that good. A rule of thumb is that the higher up you went class wise in Mexico, the more literacy though it may had been less in general compared to the USA or Texans

Its whoever wrote that blurb Id be worried about – mexican armadas? Attacked from within by commanches?
Still, Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser – whats not to like.

What's not to like? Bill Paxton for starters.

I will enjoy watching him get hysterical and go to pieces before being killed as a moral lesson to the viewer, while Brendan Fraser breaks into Santa Annas tomb, defeats the Aztec mummies and blows up the Armada just as the Commanche sailors come aboard.

While Paxton is twiddling his thumbs, the Men of the East (American filibusters) and their allies go up against Mexican Dragons (dragoons) and dwarves (Mayan and other tribes) :-)

Really funny comments boys! (smile).

My friend KTravlos my question point to know if the people which show the movie (different social classes) can read. I see a kind of white indian, a mountain men, etc. No matter their life, all of them can read Sam Houston letter.!

On those days, all of them went to school?

Took my attention.

Amicalement
Armand

Not all mountainmen were literate, but some were certainly so, and they carried bibles and the works of Shakespeare to read to themselves and their less literate brethren.

"I will enjoy watching him get hysterical and go to pieces before being killed as a moral lesson to the viewer, while Brendan Fraser breaks into Santa Annas tomb, defeats the Aztec mummies and blows up the Armada just as the Commanche sailors come aboard."

I'd buy THAT for a dollar!

(And Paxton at the Alamo, "Game over, Man!")

Of course everyone on the Texian side could read! That's the first thing any red-blooded patriot learns to do, even before he learns to shoot, fight and spit.

Except perhaps the guy in the bathtub; looks like he was otherwise engaged.

They all could read. But only out loud

I had the same question as Tango, but certainly it's an effective cinematic device, showing each man reading the letter that arrived too late.

Someone must have been very busy, hand-writing all of those copies, addressing all of those envelopes. Who was keeping the database of all those addresses? "Fester Kallikack, Big Kiowa Village, Southern Buffalo Herd".

Think of the postage expense! No bulk mail rate in those days.

Pah, fancy book larnin should be left to school marms and shyster lawyers.

Totally agree with zippyfusenet!

It sounds ridiculous!

Amicalement
Armand

I don't know about the postage for all them thar letters, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to be the poor postman who had to ride all over the wild west to deliver them!

Hollywood aside, the period is fascinating and almost unknown. I intend to check it out and attempt to ignore the sillier parts of the TV show.

looks like the usual job to me.

A fascinating period indeed.

"Los Diablos Tejanos

No history of the U.S. conquest of Mexico is complete without an account of the atrocities committed by the notorious Texas Ranger companies, dubbed Los Diablos Tejanos by the Mexicans they terrorized. These paramilitary gangs conducted a campaign of death and destruction in the Mexican countryside which left a legacy of hate that survives to this day. The vast majority of the 700 Rangers who volunteered for service in Mexico were jobless desperados from the Texas frontier who would do anything for money. They were recruited and led by Texans who were seeking revenge for what they considered wrongs committed by Mexicans at the Alamo, Goliad, Santa Fe, and Mier.

Los Diablos killed and pillaged indiscriminately. Armed with the latest rifles and revolvers, and wielding vicious Bowie knives, the Rangers operated beyond the control of the U.S. Army from the day they reported for duty. Dispatched as scouts in northern Mexico by General Taylor, the Texas mercenaries roamed the countryside, raiding villages, plundering farms, and shooting or hanging unarmed Mexican citizens.

On July 9, 1846, George Gordon Meade, a young army officer who, like Grant and Lee, served as a general during the U.S. Civil War, wrote a scathing report on Ranger misconduct in his area of responsibility:

"They have killed five or six innocent people walking in the street, for no other object than their own amusement…. They rob and steal the cattle and corn of the poor farmers, and in fact act more like a body of hostile Indians than civilized Whites. Their officers have no command or control over them."

The Corpus Christi Company of Texas Rangers under the command of "Mustang" Gray, the man who murdered Agapito De Léon at Victoria, was among the worst of Los Diablos.

Dr. S. Compton Smith, an outspoken critic of the Texas Rangers, was unsparing in his denunciation of Gray and his company:

"Texas Rangers… were mostly made up of adventurers and vagabonds…. The gang of miscreants under the leadership of Mustang Gray were of this description. This party, in cold-blood, murdered almost the entire male population of the rancho of Guadalupe, where not a single weapon, offensive or defensive, could be found! Their only object was plunder!"

When General Taylor learned of the massacre at the rancho Guadalupe and other atrocities committed by the Rangers, he tried to rein in the Texas volunteers by threatening to arrest all 700 of them. The Rangers, to a man, ignored the general, and he backed off. After all, the reign of terror conducted by Los Diablos Tejanos against the Mexican people helped paralyze resistance to the invasion and aided in the conquest of Mexico."

Quite interesting mashrewba!

Who or how ended the race of "Los Diablos…" ?

Amicalement
Armand

Love the circular firing squad ;-)

I'm calling a regular PC fest, with historical innaccuracy on a scale we have come to expect from the History Channel.

Hell, in this season of "Turn", Washington suffers from demonic posession at Valley Forge.

This will be worse.

Wait. It's got Ray Liota? Nevermind. Will be great! I'm all in!

Got to admit it looks pretty watchable! Do you think the atrocities are over done -certainly "no country for old men.."???