Rinches and Outlaws: Law and Lawmen in Folklore on the Texas-Mexican Border

Blakley, Emily

Publication

Rinches and Outlaws: Law and Lawmen in Folklore on the Texas-Mexican Border

Blakley, Emily

Date

2020

Additional date(s)

2020-11-18

Abstract

In the 1880s until the 1920s, tensions between Texas Rangers and Mexican-Americans resulted in violent incidents which killed Mexican-Americans and Rangers alike. The people of the Texas-Mexican Border have memorialized the conflict between lawmen and Mexican-Americans in their folklore. In this research, I have examined popular ballads called corridos which record the stories of men who confronted law enforcement. In addition, I have collected autobiographies from Texas Rangers, one of which came from TCU's own Special Collections, which discuss the policies they enacted and their assessment of their experiences. By examining corridos and Texas Rangers' autobiographies, historical examination of the Border and its people gains insight into their identity, values, and experiences of police brutality.