History of the Presidios on the Northern Frontier

On the occasion of the publication in English of his book Presidio: The Documented History of 300 Years on the Northern Frontier, we met with historian and writer Jorge Luis García Ruiz to discover the fundamental role of the Spanish presidios that were established in northern New Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries and which, together with the missions, played a key role in the conquest and Christianization of North America.



He is joined in this discussion by fellow historian and writer Tom Chávez; Zack Quintero, executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center; and Carlos Madrid, director of the Instituto Cervantes Albuquerque.

García Ruiz holds a PhD in Ancient World Studies from the Complutense University, is an archaeologist, historian, and researcher of Spanish history in North America, and is a professor at Texas Lutheran University, where he has spent the last 10 years of his career.