1. Empresarios and Entrepreneurs

2. Martin De Leon
Green DeWitt
Robert Leftwich and Sterling C. Robertson
De Zavala, Vehlein, and Burnet
James Power and James Hewetson
Haden Edwards

3. Martin De Leon Only Mexican empresario to found a colony in Texas
Wanted to start a colony with Mexican families along Guadalupe River
Received an unusual contract
Did not have to have a certain number of families and his colony had no borders
Main town was Guadalupe Victoria
By 1835, 162 families lived there

4. Green DeWitt Born in Kentucky Was a Texas empresario
Started his settlement in 1825
Received a contract to bring 400 families to Texas
Area consisted of land near Lavaca, San Marcos, and Guadalupe Rivers
Some of Dewitt’s land was on De Leon’s
Mexico sided with De Leon, DeWitt moved West

5. Robert Leftwich and Sterling C. Robertson
Robert Leftwich received a land grant in 1825 to settle 800 families
Grant ran along the Brazos River Valley , north and west of Austin’s grant
Leftwich sold his contract to Sterling C. Robertson
Robertson brought families to Texas in 1830
Temporary Mexican law banned American immigration to Texas
In 1835, Robertson settled 600 families in Texas

6. De Zavala, Vehlein, and Burnet
Empresario System- Mexican government wanted empresarios to personally find good settlers and help their colonies grow
Lorenzo De Zavala, Joseph Vehlein, and David Burnet all received land grants
None of them had enough money to support or attract settlers by themselves
1830 they sell contracts to Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company

7. They had bought right to bring settlers to Texas, not the land
Sold scrips to settlers
Scrip- gave owners the right to claim a piece of land in Texas
Scrips were worthless
Company ended up bringing 1000 families to Texas

8. Irish in Texas 2 grants brought Irish to Texas
James Power and James Hewetson received one grant
Capital was Refugio
Colony faced many problems:
150 immigrants died from cholera on journey to Texas
Border disputes with De Leon’s colony upset plans
James McGloin and John McMullen established a 2nd Irish colony in Texas

9. Haden Edwards
Got a contract in 1825 to bring 800 families to an area near Nacogdoches
Mexican leaders told Edwards settlers already lived there
Edwards told settlers to prove they owned the land or they had to pay him
Mexican officials cancel Edwards contract after feeling disrespected
Edwards tries to start a revolt by declaring Texas an Independent nation

10. End of the Empresario System
Population was 3,000 in 1820, grew to 25,000 by 1835
Many settlers never accepted Mexico’s system of government
Settlers wanted kind government similar to U.S.
Wanted to rule themselves
Did not want to take orders from Mexican officials