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The Age of Empresarios
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Moses Austin Lived in Missouri - depression caused him to lose all his money Hoped to regain wealth by bringing Americans to settle Spanish TX Spanish were suspicious that he was grabbing land for U.S. until Baron de Bastrop convinced them otherwise 1820, 1st Anglo-American to get permission from Spain to bring American settlers to TX
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Texas towns when Moses Austin arrived: San Antonio Goliad Nacogdoches
Saltillo (capital of C y T) Why didn’t Mexico have the Mexicans move into Texas? Why did they bring in Americans? They would have been too far from Mexico City and “civilization” The Natives were hostile… it was safer to stay home. Nacogdoches San Antonio Goliad Saltillo
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Ok Dad… I’ll carry out your plans for settling Texas.
Stephen F. Austin Moses died before bringing settlers to TX SFA “The Father of Texas” continued father’s dream of colonizing TX Summer SFA explored TX Ok Dad… I’ll carry out your plans for settling Texas. Discovered region between the Colorado & Brazos Rivers - good place for a colony: fertile soil abundant water natural resources mild climate Austin’s Map of Texas
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TX Settlement Requirements
Empresarios would sign contract with the gov. where they promised to settle a certain number of families that fulfilled these requirements: Convert to Catholicism Become a citizen of Spain later Mexico Be of good moral character Be a Farmer or tradesman
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The prospect of obtaining good farmland at low prices attracted many people to Texas.
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While Austin was Away While Austin surveys Texas land, Mexican rebels fought Spain for independence. The Mexican Revolution ends in 1821 making it its own sovereign (independent) country.
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Problems Face the Colonist
Austin returned to colony & found many problems that caused colonists to leave: Drought Land boundaries disputes Native Americans (Karankawas)raided settlements & stole horses & cattle Empresarios got more land if successful. Which depended on them working with govt. and if the land was desirable. Austin deals with problems by: Settled land disputes between settlers Negotiated with the Karankawas Set up militia to protect settlers
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Mexico’s Independence
March 1822, SFA went to San Antonio to report his progress Once there, he learned about Mexico getting their independence from Spain in Sept 1821 Also learned the new gov. did not recognize Austin’s right to colonize TX Why did the new Mexican government not recognize Austin’s right to colonize?
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Mexican Constitution of 1824
Written after Mexico’s independence from Spain Named United Mexican States Representative Federal Republic Similar to US Constitution: Individual freedoms Strong state government Elected officials Also stated: Roman Catholic – official religion Mexican government dealings - Spanish Established state of Coahuila y Tejas (merged TX & Coahuila) TX not made a state b/c small population 10
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State Colonization Law of 1825
Set up guidelines to colonize Coahuila y Tejas: No one could receive more then 48,708 acres of land; No colony established close to coast or foreign country w/o Mexico’s permission; Only permanent residents could get land grants People flocked to Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila y Tejas when they learned of the law allowed individual state to grant contracts This law allowed SFA & other empresarios to receive land grants in TX 11
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Austin Impresses Mexican Leaders
Austin was given permission for land contracts & gets 100,000 acres himself for his services under these terms: It was too far to travel from Texas to Saltillo. The amount of land each settler received was increased Families who raised livestock & farmed could receive a total of 4,605 acres
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Empresarios While you could come to Texas w/o Empresario help, most families didn’t. Why not? Most settlers could not speak Spanish Empresarios helped get land titles Empresarios held most of the desirable land Hola. Empresarios were successful in bringing American colonist to TX By the beginning of the 1830s, more immigrants living in TX than native Mexicans How do you think this population change affected the history of Texas?
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Green Dewitt From Missouri 2nd most successful Empresario
Settled East of SFA's colony Established town of Gonzales w/166 families Had problems with Native American raids
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Martin De Leon A native of Mexico also known as… Tejano
Settled 200 families South of DeWitt between Lavaca River & Guadalupe River Expert horseman & rancher Promoted TX cattle industry Established the town of Victoria in important trade center between Mexico & TX Forced to leave TX b/c of anti- Mexican sentiments Tejano
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Erasmo Seguin Successful rancher Promoted TX settlers’ interests
Father to Juan N. Seguin, who fought for TX independence Assisted SFA in getting permission to settle his father’s land grants TX representative to the congress that wrote the Constitution of 1824 Help establish colonization law that allowed state governments to grant land to empresarios 16
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The Old 300 Austin colony settlers became known as the Old Three Hundred Most settlers come from LA, AR, TN, MO Rivers were used for transportation and provided water for fertile soil. Level coastal plains allowed roads to connect settlements easily. Early colonist given opportunity to select best land to build homes & farms 1824 – San Felipe de Austin becomes the unofficial capital – named for Austin & patron saint of TX Governor Luciano García.
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Population BEFORE Empresarios: 7,000
Population AFTER Empresarios: 22,000 Towns established after the Americans came: San Felipe Gonzales Victoria Refugio Galveston Bastrop San Patricio And many more… Nacogdoches Bastrop San Felipe de Austin Galveston Gonzales San Antonio Victoria Goliad Saltillo
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