Iberdrola has donated to the future museum at The Alamo a painting by Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau dedicated to Spain’s contribution to the independence of the United States. The work, titled From Texas to Victory: A Spanish Contribution to U.S. Independence / Cattle Drive for Victory. A Contribution of Spanish Texas for the Independence of the US, will form part of the new museum complex being developed in San Antonio, which is scheduled to open in 2027.

The presentation of the painting took place on the afternoon of April 14 at the Archivo Histórico Nacional, in an event organized by the Fundación Consejo España–Estados Unidos. This institution works closely with The Alamo Trust—the entity responsible for the new museum complex—and with the city of San Antonio, promoting initiatives to highlight the shared historical legacy.

The presentation included, among others, the participation of Jaime Alfonsín, president of Fundación Iberdrola España, and the artist himself, Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau, author of the work.

For Jaime Alfonsín, president of Fundación Iberdrola España: “On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, this cultural initiative highlights Spain’s decisive contribution—financial, strategic, and military—to the birth of the American nation, as part of a shared history based on cooperation and common values.”

For the author of the work, Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau: “This is the third work I have created on Spain’s support for the birth of the United States. It has been an opportunity, together with Iberdrola, to return to these events and to contribute with my brushes to ensuring that this history—until recently little known—is disseminated both in our country and on the other side of ‘the pond.’”

As part of this initiative, the Fundación also organized an institutional agenda in Spain for Hope Andrade, president and CEO of The Alamo Trust, and Daniela Serna, Head of Legal Affairs and International Relations, with the aim of showcasing the deep cultural and historical ties between both countries in the future museum complex.

During their visit, the representatives of The Alamo were received by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, and visited key institutions such as the Naval Museum, the Army Museum, and the Casa de América, as well as several private companies.

The New Museum at The Alamo

The new museum at The Alamo is part of an ambitious renovation project of the historic Texas site, which will include the construction of a major visitor center and museum, new educational spaces, and the restoration of existing historic buildings.

The aim is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the site’s history and its role in the historical development of Texas and North America, also incorporating the Spanish period and its contributions.

The work by Iberdrola and Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau is part of the Desvelando Memorias project, an initiative that Iberdrola has been promoting since 2017 to shed light on lesser-known episodes of Spain’s presence and contribution to the history of the United States.

Since its launch, the project has promoted more than fifty cultural and historical initiatives across different parts of the country.

The Painting

The painting, whose style is rooted in the contemporary historicism characteristic of the artist, depicts the cattle drive organized from the former northern frontier of the Spanish monarchy in America—the so-called Internal Provinces of New Spain, which today correspond in part to the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana—to support the Spanish military effort during the American War of Independence.

In 1779, when Spain declared war on Great Britain and joined France in the conflict, the governor of Spanish Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, requested the shipment of thousands of head of cattle to supply the troops preparing for the campaign against the British in the Mississippi Valley and Florida. Following instructions from the colonial authorities, some fifty ranches and numerous missions—especially in the San Antonio de Béxar area—contributed livestock for this logistical operation. It is estimated that more than 15,000 cattle were gathered and driven by cowboys, escorted by troops from regional presidios, along the historic Camino Real de los Tejas to Louisiana.

Spanish logistical support proved crucial to the military operations that led to the expulsion of British forces from several strategic points in the South. In 1779, British posts along the Mississippi River were removed; the following year saw the capture of Mobile; and in 1781, the victory at Pensacola, capital of British West Florida. These operations significantly weakened the British position in the southern colonies at a critical moment in the war for George Washington’s troops, contributing to the outcome of the conflict and the birth of the United States.