Their Lives, Their Wills: Women in the Borderlands, 1750–1846 by Amy M. Porter (review)

Amy M. Porter weaves together the social and economic conditions of five northern borderlands communities—San Esteban, Saltillo, San Antonio, Santa Fe, and El Paso—during the late Spanish period and the Mexican period. She meticulously analyzes the last testaments written by wealthy women and men from each of these settlements. Through her examination, many aspects of society are evident, particularly the fact that these regions were populated, that there was considerable commerce, and that women and men were well informed of their rights as landowners and citizens.

Wealthy women and men wrote detailed descriptions of what they owned at the time of their death, including material goods—such as furniture—promissory notes, land, farm animals, and servants, all of which had value and could be passed on to children, relatives, or even a surviving spouse. Individual testators made preparations for their afterlife, including paying in advance for masses said in their honor as well as for masses dedicated to loved ones who had passed to the next life before them. Wills were good indicators of the religious practices of individuals, their families, and the community in general.

Porter places more emphasis on wills written by women, the majority of whom were widows at the time of their death. She demonstrates that women were independent matriarchs and establishes that widowhood was an accepted stage in a woman’s life. Many women, rich or poor, were susceptible to being widowed in their lifetime as a result of war and the shorter lifespans of the period. Women of the late colonial and Mexican periods documented their material belongings and what was of value to them, including their children, both legitimate and illegitimate, who were generally listed in their wills.

By probing into the last legal document that women and men prepared, we see that history is not one-sided. Porter utilizes a gendered approach to write women into history and into the historical process. Wealthy women’s voices, while not the exclusive subject of this book, are still somewhat underrepresented in the historical literature. Their history is often hidden under that of their husbands, secondary to the contributions of these wealthy men. Through her analysis of wills, Porter contributes to the growing body of literature that underlines the importance of women in the historical process.

Porter organizes her work thematically. Poor women left fewer wills as they had little material wealth, but wealthy women made use of this practice to ensure that their precious belongings were distributed according to their wishes. The wills of wealthy individuals are an invaluable source, and they aid historians when extrapolating data to piece together communities. Porter uncovers many aspects of emerging borderlands communities, including the state of the economy, the political environment, population demographics, religious practices, and the amount of wealth that each individual held at the time of death.