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I think his actions should be taught to children of middle school age and higher. We learn that Colombus and other Spanish explorers were responsible for the deaths of thousands of indigenous peoples, so I do not see why Cortina defending his race would be any more violent or traumatizing than anything else in history. Those people killed Mexicans out of racial hate and spite. Cortina returned the favor, but because of what they did not the color of their skin.

We learn about political violence all the time and it happens every day. Ignoring it will not help the situation. Graphic details are important and should be introduced appropriately via rhetoric dependent upon the students' age.

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Juan Cortina was an important figure in history, whose actions and legacies are best understood within the context of his time. He was a Mexican rancher and military leader who became noted for his resistance to Anglo-American encroachment on Mexican land in Texas during the mid-19th century. The same political use of violence, even the leading of armed uprisings, can be understood through very intense conflicts over land and the popular anti-Mexican sentiment and violence faced by Mexicans in this period.

Cortina's actions had as their basis the protection of the rights and lands of the highly marginalized and dispossessed Mexican residents from the new settlers streaming into Texas. His methods were violent, but in response to systemic injustices and inefficiency of legal systems that did not protect the property rights of Mexicans.

From a pedagogical viewpoint, it will be relevant to inform school children about the life and activity of Juan Cortina since his life will help them understand in detail the intricacies of borderland history, people who struggled for justice, and resistive voices against oppression. His life depicts the historical antecedents of the current cultural and racial tensions in the U.S.-Mexico border area.

Whether his actions can be justified depends on one's perspective of the use of violence in resistance movements. In historical perspective, it is important to consider the context of his actions and the limited avenues available for redress at the time.

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Juan Cortina is very significant in history because he is an example of someone who stood up to racial discrimination against Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. His actions and the causes of his actions--white Americans taking land that does not belong to them--are a part of American history. I think that in order to actually learn about American history, one has to learn about Mexico and the native populations that were here first.

I think that a lot of historical events revolve around political violence and other conflicts, so it is perfectly acceptable for students to learn about Juan Cortina once they are a little older. I think that Juan Cortina's actions should be taught to high school students, and then they can decide if he was a Robin Hood figure or a "bad guy" based on the evidence they are given.

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Juan Nepomuceno Cortina’s legacy is complex both a defender of Tejanos and a figure who used political violence. Given the land disputes and anti-Mexican violence of his time, his actions were a response to injustice. While some see him as a Robin Hood figure, others question his methods.

Students should learn about Cortina as a symbol of resistance and the racial tensions of post-war Texas. His story highlights the fight for justice, even if his means remain debated.

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Juan Cortina is a significant historical figure whose legacy is shaped by his resistance to the oppression of Mexicans in 19th-century Texas. His use of violence can be understood as a response to widespread anti-Mexican violence and land dispossession, but it is also morally complex, as some of his actions were indiscriminate. Schoolchildren should learn about him, as he offers a case study in defending marginalized communities and the ethical challenges of political violence.

It's important for them to understand that history is rarely black and white, and Cortina's life provides a compelling case study of the interplay between historical context, individual agency, and the consequences of political violence.

By presenting Cortina as a figure who both defended and threatened communities, we can encourage deeper reflections on the difficult choices people make when faced with systemic injustice.

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We should remember Juan Cortina and other historical figures as people. Neglecting the humanity of historical figures makes them into characters instead of humans. School children should learn the actual facts of history in an age-appropriate manner. While it may not be appropriate to expose young learners to every graphic detail of Juan’s shooting a man and leaving him bleeding in the road, it is acceptable to teach that Cortina injured a man while defending another. Cortina’s actions can be explained and justified easily by giving context to his actions. To fully understand political violence, context is needed; otherwise, we run the risk of misunderstanding and miseducating ourselves and others. Considering the extreme tension between Mexico and the U.S. and the manner in which the U.S. acquired land in the Southwest, the violence can be justified. Countries often war over land rights, and in war, there are casualties.

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I think Juan Cortina should be remembered in the context of the time he lived. This was a time of clear-cut corruption, obvious racial abuse, and a treaty that was being determined how it would work out.

I agree with many of my classmates that his story is one integral to the understanding of the creation of the border, and the intricacies of it are likely best suited for an older audience such as high school.

Personally, I have a zero-tolerance policy for political violence in general. There are circumstances where it can be acknowledged as perhaps necessary (our Revolutionary War could be considered an act of political violence), but I certainly do not want to teach banditry or vigilantism as normal or good practices. Therefore, Juan Cortina and his acts should be taught at higher levels since they are fundamental to understanding border history and relations, but I don't see enough evidence to lead me to the conclusion his violence was necessary, let alone making him a hero.

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I think we should remember Cortina as a fighter to protect the rights of Mexicans, many of whom were losing land and political power to the the U.S. His actions, illustrate how marginalized groups resort to armed resistance when systems fail them which teaches that certain actions can raise awareness in certain situations.

Juan Cortina’s historical significance lies in his use of both legal tactics and outright violence to reclaim what he saw as unjustly taken from Tejanos. As Anglo settlers seized land through legal manipulation and force, Cortina initially sought justice through legal means but later turned to armed resistance. His actions reflect the broader struggle of Mexican Texans against dispossession and racial violence, making him a symbol of both defiance and controversy. Whether seen as a bandit or a protector, his legacy highlights the deep tensions over land, power, and justice in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.

Yes, Juan Cortina is someone schoolchildren should learn about, especially in Texas. His story teaches about the struggle for justice, land rights, and resistance against racial violence. Students should understand his role in defending Tejanos from discrimination and land seizures, as well as the difficult choices he made when peaceful solutions failed. Cortina’s legacy encourages critical thinking about justice, resistance, and how history is shaped by different perspectives.

Given the failure of legal avenues and the violent oppression he and his community experienced, his actions were a form of resistance. While violence is never easily justified, in this context, it can be understood as a desperate response to systemic injustice.

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Juan Nepomuceno Cortina was a multifarious person whose activities closely related to the historical injustices suffered by Mexican Americans following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. One may consider him as a defender of his people as well as a divisive person who turned to violence to accomplish his objectives.

Being among the first to aggressively oppose the expulsion and persecution of Mexican landowners in South Texas, Cortina left a notable legacy. Though combative, his activities sprang from a larger fight against systematic discrimination, dishonest legal procedures, and strong anti-Mexican attitude. Although political violence is difficult to defend, it is significant to consider it in light of a period when Mexican Americans had almost no legal means for justice.

Schoolchildren should know about Cortina as a symbol of resistance as much as as a historical person. His narrative clarifies the challenges Mexican Americans experience as well as the lengthy history of racial and economic inequality in Texas. Students should be urged to investigate the complexity of his life and the events that preceded his acts instead of just calling him a hero or an outlaw. His narrative offers still applicable lessons about justice, authority, and resistance.

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I think that we should remember Juan Cortina as a hero who stood up for what he believed in. I would consider him a historical significant figure who fought against the oppression of Mexicans in Texas. I think that school children should learn about him because he was another figure who fought for fairness for people like him just as Dr. Martin Luther King. He actuated retaliated against the Anglo Americans for what they did to his people and not because of who they were. While he could be considered violent, he is no different from people like Christopher Columbus. He has been given a whole day that he doesn't deserve so I believe people should learn about Cortina as well.