Why were most Tejano families Catholic around 1840's?
98658
The spaniards colonized Mexico and its indigenous peoples starting in the 13 - 1400's.  They slaughtered a great many natives which established their political and cultural dominance.  Since Catholicism was their primary religion and they were devout.. the religious influence spread throughout the land and into what is now Mexican heritage.
572074
one suggestion is to not overlook the question of slavery as it relates to the Alamo.  One of the things usually ignored in the great "struggle for Texan Independence" from oppressive Mexican dictator Santa Ana is that one of the main "oppressions" that really upset the Texicans was the fact that Mexico had abolished slavery and king cotton had reached Texas and the rich land owners were not willing to do without their slaves.
230318
Any history book.  The people who founded this country were Protestants and the reason they left their country was because of religious persecution (among other things), so when they wrote home and said it was great here, more Protestants hopped a ship to head out this way.  There was already a very large base of Protestants before any other immigrants began to arrive and as they say, "when in Rome..."
776409
Most of my ancestors came here from Switzerland.They came here because they were being persecuted in their country because of their religion.One of my ancestors actually had his tongue cut out because he was preaching a religion not allowed.They were Mennonites.
833428
Many mainline protestant congregations, often in the United Church of Christ or Episcopalian tradition, have gone out on a limb to hide/protect illegal immigrants. This is always at a local level, though; I don't think that the national offices have ever endorsed this.
165751
Hard to tell, seeing as how much time has passed. I bet Latin America wouldn't be Catholic, since Spain would probably have been taken over as well. \n\nProbably no Protestant Reformation, either. The world would be quite different.
172068
Mexico has given them a culture, a belief and a society.  Just because you emigrate does not mean you throw away your culture and what made you the person you are.  When you parents, grandparents moved to the USA, did they forget about your elders and those that did not move to the USA?  Each and everyone is proud of their heritage.  Italian-Americans, African-American, Chinese-Americans and so on.  They are proud, just as you are proud.
766651
This is just a guess. You may try with the Mexican government as many of the Spanish came there from Mexico and not directly from Spain.
833956
I'm going to attribute it to being a land of immigrants.  With no other family around, they turned to the community of the church.  \n\nThen in the 1950s we had the Red Scare.  God was the opposite of communist somehow and there was a big push for religion.  \n\nThere is a bible belt in America, and it is scary.\n\nIf any of the idiots that are spouting off about America being founded by Christians should happen to read this far, this country was not founded by Christians.  The ten commandments has very little in common with the bill of rights.  You might be brain washed, check into it.
485714
Altougth i don't like to generalize - i would try to answer this question. But i hope this is not seing judgemental, or prejudice, I have to say that not all mexicans have to have this characteristics. In Mexico there are lots of people and everyone is diferent.\n\nWhat i admire the most is the love for the family, the family ties, the type of relations we create with all the persons within our families and how those relations extend to almost any person who gets into the circle. \n\nThere is this sense of strong that make us feel the lonely fact that we have big families backing up us. There's no way to break us down while we have those big families with us, and as long as we keep making part of those big structures.\n\nWhat i hate the most? That one is really dificult. \n\nI believe that once we get to our comfort zone, we tend to stay in there? and it is dificult to us to make efforts to improve it. I don't know if there is a word to that, in spanish it would be CONFORMISMO.\n\nThat's something i hate, and i see very often in Mexican people (it have happened to me). As i said, i don't mean to be judmental, and i know that not all mexican people is like that, and i'm sure you can see those characteristics in people from all the world as well. \n\nBut those are the characteristics i've noticed in my people, Mexican people.
143990
Some of the reasons are for a better life, but migration began long before the 90's, and include Texas. Thier most valid reason (they say) is to claim the land they were forced from, do a little research on Google on Hispanic migration to the west
620870
These website explains it all...I hope it helps.\n\nhttp://home.earthlink.net/~rickpen16/catholicmarriages/index.html
1045788
never heard of Molokans, but keep in mind its not your religion that ostresized you, its a religious group.  As long as you still believe that way then thats what matters.  An excommunicated catholic could still be a christian.
643760
Here's the rub....People originally moved to the new world so they could worship God in their own way. We based all of our hopes and early government on this main principle...now they are trying to take religion out of the government that was created by those seeking freedom of religion. Anyone else have a problem with this?
341395
Mexico's history is huge. But the main reasons of Spaniards coming and conquering Mexico and its people living there is the huge amounts of gold, silver and other beaufifull stones the native people would use and wear. Also the cities and temples where mainly covered in such way. Since Spain was looking for resources to maintain its power in Europe, they send explorators to go and search after the myth of the city of gold (remember the movie "the road to el dorado"?). The myth  was created by the same Spaniards as a way to keep their men going in the long journeys more, and more into the desert part of Mexico. They would make false promises that they would be so rich, they will never have to work in the rest of their days. In the religious part, the Spanish Kings send the missionaries to 'educate' the natives. But we all know that this as only a way to keep the natives from revealing against the spanish invasors. And that is also the beggining of catholicism in Mexico.\nThere is a lot of information available everywhere. I hope I have helped you where to start for your paper.
621487
Through slavery and Cotton plantations. There was a great migration to Texas for homesteading in 1825-35 when Texas was still a part of Mexico. The Mexican President invited homesteading, and promoted slavery, for Cotton production, and thousands of Americans from South Carolina and Georgia moved there with there slaves to own larger plantations. That was the major growth of the area, and the reason. The Alamo was a result of Mexican taxation to the plantation owners of the Cotton fields.
133850
in the 1930 there was alot of discrimination against mexicans and latinos i'm not sure if that was what you were asking.