EVENTS OF TEXAS COLONIZATION

Adams-Onis Treaty 1819

Moses Austin and Baron de Bastrop 1820 – Moses Austin travels to Texas (Spain) to ask permission to bring 300 U.S. families into Texas. Moses gained permission in 1821 with the help of Baron de Bastrop. Bastrop knew Spanish officials, and used his influence to help Moses get permission. Moses got permission, but died before fulfilling his goal. His son, Stephen, took over.

Stephen F. Austin Takes Over Moses Austin becomes very ill and dies before he can establish his colony After hearing about his father’s death, Stephen F. Austin is determined to carry out his father’s colony He travels to San Antonio de Bexar and meets with the Spanish government Stephen F. Austin is granted permission to continue with his father’s contract

Mexican Independence - 1821

AUSTIN’S TRIP TO MEXICO CITY IN 1822 AND THE RESULTS Purpose To reconfirm his colonization contract with the Mexican government Results Gained approval for his contract Received more favorable land terms Granted power to form a local government, militia, and serve as colony’s judge Formed strong ties with Mexican officials

Stephen F. Austin Thanks largely to the help of a prominent Tejano, Erasmo Seguin, the new Mexican government allowed Austin to succeed his father as empresario. For his colony, he chose a spot between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers that offered ideal farming land. Austin was careful to recruit only honest, hard- working settlers with the key skills needed to establish the colony.

Mexican Constitution 1824 In 1824, Mexico passed a new constitution establishing a federal system like the U.S. Texas was merged with the Mexican state of Coahuila to form a new state, Coahuila y Tejas. The Colonization Law of 1824 gave the state governor the right to set the rules for colonization.

Colonization Law of 1825 law that opened Texas for more settlement & immigration. Law only required that settlers become Catholics & Mexican citizens. No taxes for 10 years. empresarios- business people who promoted settlement & immigration. Result of the law was a huge wave of U.S. immigration to Texas.

The Empresario System Under the colonization laws, empresarios (Spanish for “contractor”) were responsible for settling Texas. Empresarios acted as land agents, recruiting a certain number of people to move to Texas. They provided settlers with loans and supplies. They also acted as the colony’s representative to the Mexican government. For their services, the empresarios were paid with large grants of land.

The Empresario System Most settlers in empresario colonies came from the United States. To obtain permission from the Mexican government to own land in Texas, these settlers had to agree: To become loyal citizens of Mexico; To become Catholic; and To actually live on the land.