1. Empresarios & Entrepreneurs

2. Martin De Leon Only Mexican empresario to found a colony in Texas
Wanted to start a colony on the Guadalupe River – grew into present day Victoria, Texas
Received an unusual contract:
No requirement for number of families
No marked borders
Settled 162 families; all but 16 were from Mexico

3. Green DeWitt
1825 – received a contract to bring 400 families along the Lavaca, San Marcos, and Guadalupe Rivers by 1831
Some of his land was also land owned by DeLeon. Mexico sides with DeLeon and moves DeWitt farther West.
He founds the town of Gonzales.

4. Other Empresarios Robert Leftwich Sterling C. Robertson
1822 – came from Tennessee to settle 800 families along the Brazos River
Sold his contract to:
Sterling C. Robertson
Brought families in 1830
Mexican law prevented them from settling
Stephen F. Austin and Robertson argued over the land but Robertson eventually settled 600 of his 800 families in 1835

5. de Zavala, Vehlein, & Burnet
de Zavala, Vehlein, and Burnet each received land grants but did not have the means to bring settlers to Texas
They sold the rights to bring settlers to the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company – but not the land
The company brought settlers to Texas and told them they had land (they didn’t) so what they sold the settlers (called scrip) was worthless
This caused great confusion but eventually the land company brought nearly 1000 families to Texas

6. The Irish James, James, James & John
Immigrants from Ireland came to settle Texas but faced many problems, including:
150 died of cholera on the journey to Texas
Border disputes with other colonies, especially De Leon’s colony

7. Haden Edwards
Haden Edwards won a contract in 1825 to bring 800 families to Nacogdoches
Mexican officials told Edwards that people already lived there but he did not pay attention
He told the settlers who were already there that they had to prove they owned their land. If they couldn’t, they had to pay Edwards for the land.

8. Haden Edwards The Mexican government disliked Edwards
Thought he took too much power for himself
They cancelled his contract
Many others in Texas do not trust Edward
Greedy, Bad Leader
Stephen F. Austin troubled by him

9. Fredonian Rebellion
Edwards led a revolt and declared Texas an independent nation and called it the “Republic of Fredonia”
Promised to divide Texas into two parts
One part for Native Americans
The other part for white settlers
Few people backed Edwards
Soldiers from Mexico and Austin’s militia quickly end the revolt

10. End of the Empresarios
In 1820, the population of Texas was less than 3,000. By 1835, a census showed the population had risen to nearly 25,000 – system worked!
Settlers never become loyal to Mexico and never accept their system of government
They wanted to rule themselves and not take orders from officials in far off Mexico City

11. End of the Empresarios Texas now has two regions:
North: Anglos from the United States
South: Tejanos –people with Mexican ancestry who live in Texas
Empresarios had been the government of the colonies
Mexico creates the Department of Nacogdoches to give settlers a stronger voice in government
The settlers want changes!