This title is suitable for children of ages 9 to 12 years. Despite having been forced to flee to Mexico and die in obscurity, Tejano Juan Seguin is now recognised as a Texas hero. From his family's early support of settlers such as Stephen F. Austin to his years in the Texas Senate and as mayor of Bexar, this biography celebrates the life of Juan Seguin and his heroic efforts in securing Texas's independence. As chief administrator of the San Antonio district, Juan was an outspoken critic of Mexican President Santa Anna and a vocal champion of the Texans' demand for greater self-government. When the fight for a separate state began, Juan recruited a company of Mexican ranchers and joined the Texans in battle. Despite having ultimately risen to lieutenant colonel after the Battle of San Jacinto and his three-term service in the Texas Senate, American newcomers to San Antonio - who held themselves above the native families - branded him a Mexican sympathiser and, fearing for his life, he fled to Mexico.

Illustrated by: Don Collins