chapter 7 - age of empresarios chapter 7.1 – austin establishes a colony in 1821, moses austin...

Chapter 7 - Age of Empresarios

Chapter 7.1 – Austin Establishes a Colony

• In 1821, Moses Austin paved the way for Anglo American colonization of Texas

• He was the first Anglo American to secure permission from Spain to bring American settlers into Texas

• Born in Connecticut, Moses Austin moved to present-day Missouri in 1798, when that area of Louisiana still belonged to Spain

• As a result, he was familiar with Spanish laws and regulations

• Austin prospered in Missouri until a depression swept the United States in 1819 and ruined his business

• Austin set out to Texas in 1820 to meet with Governor Antonio Martinez, hoping to secure a contract from Spanish authorities that would allow him to bring 300 families to Texas

• Austin was at first turned down• While leaving Martinez’s office,

Austin met an old friend, Baron de Bastrop

Moses Austin Paves the Way



• Baron de Bastrop, whose real name was Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel, was an important man in San Antonio and promised to help Austin

• Bastrop helped convince the governor that his plan was not an excuse for the United States to grab land

• After returning to Missouri, Austin received word that the Spanish had approved his request

• Before he could carry out his plans, however, he became seriously ill with pneumonia

• The long, difficult journey to San Antonio and his work in preparing for colonization had exhausted him

• On June 10, 1821, Moses Austin died.• His last request before dying was

that his son, Stephen, carry out the plans for settling Texas

Moses Austin Paves the Way



• At the time of his father’s illness, Stephen was living in New Orleans, studying law and working for a newspaper

• When he learned that the colonization contract had been approved, he left for San Antonio to help his father explore the country and set up the colony

• He was near Natchitoches, Louisiana, when he learned his father had died

• Stephen F. Austin was determined to carry out his father’s colonization plan and decided to go to San Antonio to see Governor Martinez

• When Austin arrived in August of 1821, Governor Martinez warmly greeted him and then discussed Austin’s plan for settlement

Stephen F. Austin Continues His Father’s Work



• After spending most of September exploring Texas, he decided that the region between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers was a good place for a colony

• He said that it had– fertile soil– abundant water– natural resources– a mild climate– and no other settlement

• Austin wrote a full report and sent it to Governor Martinez, outlining the boundaries he wanted for the colony

• Austin made a specific request for land along the coast, although he planned most settlements to be in the Colorado and Brazos Valleys

Austin Sets Colony Boundaries



• Austin began advertising for settlers to come to the colony

• The advertisements appeared mainly in newspapers in the southern newspapers in the United States

• The land policy proposed by Austin was very generous. It stated:– Each man would receive 640 acres– 320 acres for his wife– 160 acres for each child– 80 acres for each slave– People of special value would receive

additional grants of land (merchants, doctors, mill operators, and ferry operators)

• Settlers would pay Austin 12.5 cents per acre

• Austin was willing to extend credit to the settlers, allowing individuals time to pay

Advertising for Colonists



• Settlers coming to Texas were required to:– become citizens of their new

country– take an oath of allegiance to the

Spanish (later Mexican) government– become Catholic– be of good moral character– be willing to work hard

Advertising for Colonists

Chapter 7 – Age of Empresarios

Chapter 7.2 – The Colonies Grow

• On March 19, 1823, Mexican emperor Agustin de Iturbide was overthrown

• Federalists formed the new Mexican government; they believed in sharing power between the states and the national government

• Their opponents, Centralists, believed that power should be concentrated in the national government of Mexico City

• The Federalists wrote a new constitution for Mexico in 1824– Divided the nation into 19 states and 4

territories– The provinces of Coahuila and Tejas were

combined into one province – Coahuila y Tejas

– Tejas would be able to become its own Mexican state once its population grew large enough

– Tejas would only select 1 of 12 representatives for the state legislature that met in Saltillo

The Constitution of 1824



• In 1824 the congress in Mexico City passed a new colonization law that set up new restriction for colonization and had the states work out the details– No family could receive more

than 48,708 acres of land– No colony could be established

within 30 miles of the coast or 60 miles of an international boundary without permission

– Only those who intended to live permanently in Texas could receive land

• Upon learning of this new law, many people set out for Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila y Tejas

Mexico Passes Colonization Law



• In 1825, Coahuila y Tejas passed a new state law for colonization within the state

• Foreigners were invited to immigrate to Texas and could receive land through an empresario or on their own

• For a payment of $30 a family could receive as much as 4,428 acres of land– Single men would receive 1,107 acres– When they married they would receive

another 3,321 acres– If he married a Mexican woman, he

would receive a bonus 1,107 acres

• Colonists had to show evidence of good moral character and be Roman Catholic

• Most families came through an empresario contract because– Most of the desirable land was held by

them– Most families did not speak Spanish

How State Colonization Laws Worked



• Stephen F. Austin continued to be the most successful empresario

• By 1828, he had received 4 more contracts– He was allowed to settle 500 families

within the boundaries of his first colony in 1825

– Founded the town of Bastrop in 1827 while settling 100 families east of the Colorado River and north of the San Antonio Road

– Settled 300 families along the coast in 1828

– Settled 800 families in a large area northwest of his original colony in 1831

• For every 200 families brought in, Austin was given around 67,000 acres of land for himself

The Most Successful Empresario



• Several reasons contributed to Stephen F. Austin’s success as a colonizer– Ability to deal successfully with

Mexican authorities– His colonists had little trouble getting

the title to their land– He dealt with native Americans to

eliminate threats

• In addition to these traits, the land Austin had claim to was important– Some of the most fertile soil in Texas– Well watered– Contained large amounts of timber– Crossed by roads and rivers to provide

transportation

Why Austin’s Colonies Succeeded



• The second most successful empresario was Green DeWitt of Missouri.

• In 1825 he was authorized to bring 400 families into Texas

• His colony was situated west of Austin’s first colony and south of the San Antonio Road

• The town of Gonzales was established as headquarters for the colony

• Native Americans began a series of raids, which slowed the early growth of DeWitt’s colony

• By 1831, he had issued 166 titles to land

Green DeWitt’s Success



• Another successful empresario was Martin de Leon, an expert horseman and rancher

• He settled between 100 and 200 families along the Guadalupe River near the coast

• He founded the town of Victoria, which was named for the first president of the republic of Mexico

• Native American raids also troubled de Leon’s colony, which was southeast of the DeWitt settlement

• His colonists prospered by farming and ranching

• Victoria became an important center for trade between Texas and Mexico

• He later becomes famous for his help in the Texas Revolution but is forced to flee due to anti-Mexican sentiments

Martin de Leon, Empresario


Other Contracts

SuccessesProblemsEmpresario CapitalLocation

McMullen and

McGloin

Along the Gulf Coast

San Patrici

o

Irish Irish

Power and

Hewetson

South of De Leon along the Gulf Coast

Refugio

IrishNative American Raids

IrishRefugio was built on the site of an old Spanish Mission

Martin De Leon

South of DeWitt along the Guadalupe-Near the coast

Victoria

Native American RaidsForced to leave TX because of anti-Mexican sentiments

Did a lot to promote the cattle industry in TexasVictoria important center for trade between Mexico and Texas

Green DeWitt

West of Austin’s 1

st Colony

Gonzales

Native American

Raids

Settled 166 families

2nd in number to Austin

Stephen F. Austin (Father

of Texas)

Between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers

San Felipe

de Austin

DroughtTonkawa & KawakawaLively shipwreckedDisputes over boundariesMexican gov’t revoked right to settle

Convinced Mexican gov’t to let him settleFather of TX – 1st colonize Americans

Settled nearly 300 families

chapter 7 - age of empresarios chapter 7.1 – austin establishes a colony in 1821, moses austin...

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