Empresario Project Stephen F. Austin ( ) By: Briley Court

Stephen Fuller Austin Known as "The Father of Texas," Stephen F. Austin established the first Anglo-American colony in the Tejas province of Mexico and saw it grow into an independent republic. Tejas meant Friend, or Friendship.

In His Fathers Foot Steps It was Austin's father, Moses Austin, who took the first steps toward establishing an American colony in Mexican Tejas. In 1820, he traveled to San Antonio to petition for a land grant, and in 1821 received approval to settle 300 American families on 200,000 acres. But Moses Austin died before completing his plans and responsibility for establishing the colony fell to Stephen.

“The Old Three Hundred” Stephen f. Austin brought over 300 colonists to his colony. As time passed people called this the “Old Three Hundred,” pretty cool eh?

Forced by Law In 1830, Mexican officials passed a law prohibiting further American immigration into Tejas, hoping in this way to limit American influence over the region. Austin found a loophole that allowed him to continue expanding his colony, but the law stirred resentment among his colonists, who began calling for a separate state government in Tejas, which was then under the jurisdiction of the neighboring state of Coahuila. Against Austin's advice, they framed a constitution for the proposed state of Texas at the San Felipe Convention in 1833, and had Austin carry it to Mexico City, along with a list of demands for redress of grievances.

FUN FACTS! He was sent to solitary confinement for a month. He went to college at Transylvania University. Although he asked for people with families to be in his colony, he was never married. His academy in college was the “Bacon,” academy, funny right. His hometown was Austinville, Virginia cool eh,…….