Many Texans know about Spain’s colonization of the state, but what do they know about life back then? Do they know anything about the strange requests that stem from being ruled by a king? This month, Dr. Tim Seiter joins us to discuss his book, Wrangling Pelicans: Military Life in Texas Presidios, to answer those questions. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about common professions of the region, their dangers, and what happened when the King of Spain, Carlos III, demanded that his subjects in Texas wrangle pelicans for his royal zoo in 1775. Ultimately, those who attend the lecture will learn that early Tejanos lived hard lives. They battled illness and endured hunger (scurvy was a recurring problem). And yet, in the face of myriad hardships, these Tejanos carved out lives for themselves on their own terms. Book signing follows lecture. Program is free.

Dr. Tim Seiter is an assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at Tyler, where he specializes in colonial Texas with a focus on Spanish and Native histories. This book, Wrangling Pelicans, was the winner of the 2026 Summerlee Book Prize in nonfiction. Currently, Seiter is organizing a new general history of Native peoples in Texas for the University of Texas Press.

Zoom link TBA!