The Ballad based from the Mexican folk tale of Gregorio Cortez called, “With His Pistol in His Hand” The ballad was written by an Mexican American Poet, and musician, and folklorist Americo Paredez. (1915-1999) Paredez was from Brownsville Texas, and is known as a respected Mexican American scholar from the 20th century. Americo wrote the ballad in January of 1958. During the time around the time around 1915 in which Paredez was born. there were tensions and often violent events around the Texas Mexican border which occurred as a result from the Mexican Revolution in 1910 through the 1930s. The significant of the time in which this Ballad was created during the late 50s, was because it was during the time of civic unrest, and around the early