Age of Empresarios

Austin Establishes a Colony

Moses Austin Paves the Way

• 1st Anglo-American to get permission from Spain to bring Americans to Texas

• Went to San Antonio with slave (Richmond)

• Turned down first – Baron de Bastrop (friend) convinced Gov. Antonio Martinez to allow 300 families

• Got ill – had to send son (Stephen F.) to carry out his plans

Stephen Continues Father’s Work

• “Father of Texas” – founded 1st Anglo American colony in Texas

• 27 – took over Moses’ work

• Went to San Antonio with Erasmo Seguín

Austin Sets Colony Boundaries

• Region between Colorado and Brazos Rivers

• Many pluses– Fertile soil– Abundant water– Natural resources– Mild climate– No other settlements

Advertising for Colonists

• Southern states due to similarities

• “No drunkard, no gambler, no profane swearer, no idler”

• Man – 640 acres• Wife – 320 acres• Child – 160 acres• Slave – 80 acres

• 12 ½ cents per acre• Requirements

– Oath to Spain/Mexico

– Catholic

– Good moral character

Good Land & Low Prices

• Some came by boat (The Lively); others by land

• 1st here – Andrew Robinson (set up ferry crossing at Washington-on-the-Brazos)

• Wealthiest – Jared E. Groce

• Set backs– The Lively wrecked

– Mexico gained independence

– Colony contract cancelled

Austin Impresses Mexico

• Mexican Law of 1823 – Family – 4,605 acres– Austin received 100,000 acres as an

empresario (land agent who brings in new settlers)

• Mexican leaders impressed with Austin’s honesty and sincerity (he learns customs and Spanish)

Problems Develop in Colony

• Drought• Land not surveyed• Disagreements over

ownership• Karankawa/Tonkawa

attacks• Militia (temporary

army) established

Age of EmpresariosThe Colonies Grow

Chapter 7 – Section 2

The Constitution of 1824

• 1823 – Mexican emperor Agustín de Iturbide overthrown• Federalists – sharing power between states and national

government• Centralists – power should be concentrated in the national

(central) government• Mexico divided into 19 states and 4 territories• Coahuila and Texas united as one Mexican state –

Coahuila y Tejas• If Texas’ population grew then it could become a separate

state• Baron de Bastrop chosen as the 1st representative from

Texas

Mexico Passes Colonization Law of 1824

• Certain restrictions• No one could receive more than 48, 708 acres of

land• No colony could be established within 30 miles of

the coast or 60 miles from an international boundary without permission

• Only those who intended to live permanently in Texas could receive land contracts

How State Colonization Law Worked

• Foreigners invited to immigrate

• After $30 payment – family receives as much as 4,428 acres

• Would not have to pay general taxes for a set number of years

• Single men receive 1,107 acres but given the rest upon marriage

• If a man married a Mexican woman, he would receive an additional 1,107 acres

• Colonists had to show evidence of good moral character and a Roman Catholic

• Too few priests for Mexican authorities to check out colonists

• Use of empresarios – best land and spoke Spanish

• Empresario contracts cancelled after 6 years if failure of getting 100 families to settle

The Most Successful Empresario

• S. Austin’s most successful• Received additional

contracts– 500 more families added to

Old 300

– 100 families to “Little Colony” – Bastrop

– 300 families along the coast

– 800 families with Samuel Williams northwest of original colony

Why Austin’s Colonies Succeeded

• Demonstrated ability to deal successfully with Mexican authorities

• Colonists had little difficulty getting titles to land and making improvements

• Native Americans became less of a threat

• Contracts included most fertile lands– Well watered, plentiful timber, & roads and rivers

provided transportation

Green DeWitt’s Success

• 2nd most successful• 400 families settled

west of Austin’s original colony

• Gonzales – headquarters

• Native American raids slowed early growth

Martín de León Empresario

• Native to Mexico, expert horseman/rancher

• Settled 100-200 families along Guadalupe River near the coast

• Wife (Patricia de la Garza de León) helped establish the town of Victoria– Gave $ for first church in Victoria– Later sided with Texans during war with

Mexico– Forced to flee after Texas Revolution

• Native American raids troubled colony

Other Contracts

• James Power and James Hewetson– Settled Irish immigrants along Gulf Coast (Refugio)

• John McMullen and James McGloin– 2nd colony of Irish at San Patricio

• Haden Edwards, David G. Burnet, Joseph Vehlein, Arthur Wavell, Lorenzo de Zavala– Some became active in Texas Revolution

• Noah and Nancy Tevis– No help from empresario– Settled along Neches River– After Noah’s death, Nancy founded Beaumont

Various Nationalities Settle in Texas

• Americans– Southern states (Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas)– Farmers– Looking for new start with cheap land

• African Americans (enslaved)– Imperial Colonization Law recognized slavery but outlawed slave trading– ↑ 2000 enslaved – mainly on plantations– Mexican government opposed, but Americans argue that slave labor was

necessary to clear land; cultivate cotton, corn, and sugarcane; and to make a profit

• African Americans (free)– Greenbury Logan, Samuel H. Hardin, Lewis B. Jones, William

Goyens, Hendrick Arnold

Women Play Important Roles

• Mary Austin Holley– Cousin of Stephen Austin– Wrote a series of letters about her visit to Texas

• María Calvillo – Became sole owner of father’s ranch– Expanded and improved ranch through courage, organizational

skills, and talents

• Jane McManus – German empresario with brother• Tamar Morgan

– Came to Texas as a slave– Purchased her freedom – Became successful landowner with husband Samuel H. Hardin

• Life– Worked along side the men building houses, tending livestock, and defending their land– Had few rights – could not vote, hold public office, or serve on a jury– Slave women – labored long hours without pay, with no prospect of freedom (families

often split up because of slave sales)

Education in the Colonies

• Lack of $ prevented Mexican government from providing public education

• Job of educating children left to colonists• Wealthy colonists – some hired private teachers while

others sent children to U.S. schools• Thomas J. Pilgrim – opened 1st school in San Felipe de

Austin (1829)• Frances Trask – opened one of first girls schools in Texas

(mid- 1830s)• By 1830s – almost every town had at least one teacher

(reading, writing, and arithmetic)