Lorenzo de Zavala's Travels in America, 1834

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AUTHOR: Lorenzo de Zavala

TITLE: Viage A Los Estados-Unidos del Norte de America. 

PUBLICATION DATA: Decourchant; Paris; 1834. First Edition.

Before he helped draft the Texas constitution and serve as the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas, Lorenzo de Zavala was regarded highly in Mexican Federalist political circles. He helped draft the Mexican constitution of 1824 and in 1829 found himself under house arrest for his political views. So into exile he went, heading to the United States in hopes the tides would turn in Mexico. He recorded his observations about American culture and politics during his two years in exile. The Mexican government changed hands again, and Zavala returned to his homeland in 1832. Santa Anna, then in power, appointed him Minister to France. So off he went to Paris.

While Lorenzo de Zavala was in Paris, Santa Anna kicked the 1824 constitution to the curb, sending Zavala to Texas when he returned to North America. Before he left Paris, Zavala published his observations about the United States. He included notes about Texas, as well, making mention of his colonization enterprises here.

Zavala's commentary is frequently compared with Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, but it was published a year before that oft-cited tome. His views on modes of living, culture, commerce and even slavery give us rare insight into the mind of a Texas Founding Father. The book is a rarity, both in form and substance. NOTE: Though Zavala was a polyglot, he wrote the text in Spanish...so bear in mind that this treasure is en Español, por favor! 

Condition report:

The photos tell the story best. Full tree calf leather with gilt-ruled French morocco spine label. Covers show the most wear at their extremities (board edges, spine ends, corners) but boards show some abrasions, too, from years of handling. Foxing throughout, but text is legible. Front hinge is cracked but binding remains secure.

Now for a bit of mystery: On the title page, a previous owner noted in 19th century hand, "A. S. Viesca, page 179." On that page, the same owner penned Viesca's name. I logically thought this was a reference to Agustin Viesca, 1830s governor of Coahuila y Texas....or maybe to his nephew, Andres, who held the same post in the 1850s. The text on page 179, however, has Zavala discussing the prowess of the U. S. Navy, so it's unclear how this relates to the Viescas. Examining the one example of Andres S. Viesca's signature I can locate, I find it's pretty darn close to what's written in this book. So this copy may well have belonged to the governor of Coahuila.

Why It Matters:

Few of our Founding Fathers left a body of published work behind. Zavala left us two published books, both of which allow us to know the man better through his writing. This travelogue is a snapshot of a unique moment in Zavala's career - when he was unsure of his future and on the cusp of joining the Texian cause. More importantly, though, it's the voyage of a man who worked to establish democracy in his own country experiencing democracy firsthand in a country that had only been living as a democracy for about fifty years. That's powerful stuff.

Because it was published in Paris and not in great quantity, it is an exceedingly rare find on this continent. We tracked this copy down in Mexico City. We've never seen a copy before and likely won't see one again.