Hidden off Highway 174 near Blum, about an hour south of Fort Worth, is a historical marker honoring Philip Nolan as an “early-day explorer, horse wrangler, and accused spy” whose “death aroused a wave of indignation that led to the Independence of Texas.” The marker, with its romanticized memory of Nolan as a precursor to an Anglo-American and independent Texas, has clouded his legacy. By examining the documents Nolan left behind, historian Jackson Pearson tells a dynamic story of how the American, Spanish, and Native American commercial markets collided in early America. Join us for this fascinating talk!

Jackson Pearson earned his Ph.D. in American History from Texas Christian University in 2024. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. His dissertation examines the Neutral Ground Agreement of 1806 that defined the Louisiana-Texas border. He has authored four book chapters on his research, including “The Mexican Traveler’: Philip Nolan and the Southwestern Horse Trade” published in A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers, & Adventurers who Created a New American Nation.

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