Editing Brownsville, Texas (section)

===Mexican–American War===
{{Main|Mexican–American War}}
[[File:Nebel Mexican War 01 Battle of Palo Alto.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Palo Alto]] was fought on May 8, 1846]]

On April 25, 1846, Captain [[Seth B. Thornton]] received reports of Mexican troops crossing the Rio Grande. Thornton and 63 [[1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)#Mexican–American War|U.S. dragoons]] moved to Rancho de Carricitos and discovered several houses in the area. Mexican General Anastasio Torrejón crossed the Rio Grande the previous day. He commanded 1,600 cavalry and infantry troops to surround Thornton's troops in fractions. Due to heavy force from Torrejón's troops, Thornton's troops surrendered. Eleven American casualties were reported; 45 troops and Thornton were held as prisoners. Reports of the incident were sent to President James K. Polk, who announced, "American blood has been spilled upon the American territory." On May 13, the [[United States Congress]] declared war against Mexico.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rancho de Carricitos |url=https://www.nps.gov/paal/learn/historyculture/ranchodecarricitos.htm |department=National Park Service |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior |access-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224024402/https://www.nps.gov/paal/learn/historyculture/ranchodecarricitos.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

American General [[Zachary Taylor]] retreated from Fort Texas on May 1, 1846; Mexican General [[Mariano Arista]] began preparing artillery and troops from across the Rio Grande.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf07|title=For Brown|first=Elizabeth D.|last=Pettit|date=June 12, 2010|publisher=tshaonline.org|access-date=August 1, 2016|archive-date=September 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918083512/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf07|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 3, Arista and the Mexican Army began the siege of Fort Texas, during the first active campaign in the Mexican–American War. This was counteracted by the [[7th Infantry Regiment (United States)|United States 7th Infantry Regiment]].<ref name="siegeoftexas"/> Despite heavy strikes, Mexican General [[Pedro de Ampudia]] outlined a traditional siege to move forward. Taylor was notified of the incident and began moving towards Fort Texas. Mexican troops intercepted them near [[Palo Alto, Texas|Palo Alto]], about {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on}} north of present-day Brownsville,<ref>{{cite web |title=Battles of the War: The Battle of Palo Alto |url=https://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/war/palo_alto.html |website=Public Broadcasting Service |access-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118212526/http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/war/palo_alto.html |url-status=live}}</ref> resulting in the first battle of the war.<ref>{{cite web |title=Palo Alto Battlefield |url=https://www.nps.gov/paal/learn/historyculture/paloalto.htm |website=National Park Service |publisher=United States Department of the Interior |access-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614232202/https://www.nps.gov/paal/learn/historyculture/paloalto.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

The following day, Mexican troops had retreated. Taylor's troops charged up to them, resulting in the [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma]], which took place within the present limits. When Taylor arrived at the besieged Fort Texas, he found that two soldiers, including the fort's commander, Major Jacob Brown, had died. Brown, who suffered an injury when a cannonball hit his leg, died three days after his injury on May 9. In his honor, General Taylor renamed the facility as Fort Brown. An old cannon at the [[University of Texas at Brownsville]] and [[Texas Southmost College]] marks the spot where Major Brown received his fatal wound.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brownsville: Fort Brown |url=http://texastropicaltrail.com/plan-your-adventure/historic-sites-and-cities/sites/fort-brown |website=Texas Tropical Trail |access-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105044609/http://texastropicaltrail.com/plan-your-adventure/historic-sites-and-cities/sites/fort-brown |url-status=live}}</ref>

On July 13, 1859, Juan Cortina saw Brownsville city Marshal Robert Sheers arrest and beat an elderly man who had been a ranch hand at his mother's ranch. Cortina approached the marshal, questioning his motives, before shooting him twice after he refused to release the man. The first shot reportedly missed Sheers, but the second struck his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground. Cortina and the elderly man rode off on a horse.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Leanos | first1=Reynaldo Jr. |title=Remembering the Birthday of Juan Cortina, The 'Robin Hood of the Rio Grande' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/remembering-birthday-juan-cortina-robin-hood-rio-grande-n759851 |access-date=January 2, 2019 |work=NBC News |date=May 16, 2017 |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103142040/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/remembering-birthday-juan-cortina-robin-hood-rio-grande-n759851 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Documents on the Brownsville Uprising of Juan Cortina |url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/four/cortinas.htm |website=Public Broadcast Service |access-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-date=December 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226001720/http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/four/cortinas.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, Cortina returned with troops, executing four Anglo men and simultaneously releasing several Mexican prisoners. He then issued a proclamation explaining his reasons for the attack.<ref>{{cite web |title=Juan Cortina (1824-1892) |url=http://noblebandits.asu.edu/Bio/Cortina.html |website=Noble Bandits |access-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-date=April 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413080636/http://noblebandits.asu.edu/Bio/Cortina.html |url-status=live}}</ref>