Tuesday, October 20 I can… Today: Announcements: Do Now Explain how empresario contracts worked Today: Chapter 8 Test Review Announcements: The Chapter 7-8 test is tomorrow Tutoring: Today 4-5 Report card grades due Friday Do Now Get out the chapter 7-8 study guide You will take notes on the study guide during today’s discussion Get out the packet from yesterday Trade them with an elbow partner Write “graded by” and your name at the bottom of the front page

Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the name given by Texas history scholars to Texas during the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of Mexico. The period began with Mexico's victory over Spain in its war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very similarly to Spanish Texas. The 1824 Constitution of Mexico joined Texas with Coahuila to form the state of Coahuila y Tejas. The same year, Mexico enacted the General Colonization Law, which enabled all heads of household, regardless of race or immigrant status, to claim land in Mexico. The first empresarial grant had been made under Spanish control to Stephen F. Austin, whose settlers, known as the Old Three Hundred, settled along the Brazos River in 1822. The grant was later ratified by the Mexican government. Twenty-three other empresarios brought settlers to the state, the majority from the United States of America. From wikipedia.org

Depression A period of low economic activity, often marked by high unemployment

Survey Measure for size and for boundaries (p.167)

Empresario The Spanish word for a land agent whose job it was to bring in new settlers to an area (p. 168) “An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.” – from Wikipedia.org Stephen F. Austin, Green DeWitt, Martín De León How it worked The empresario gets a contract with the Mexican government They are then granted land for their colony The empresario must then find 100 families to settle on that land Empresario contracts ran for 6 years If the empresario was not able to get at least 100 families settled on the land within those 6 years, the empresario’s contract would be canceled by the Mexican government. If the empresario was successful, they would get land of their own Stephen F. Austin earned about 100,000 acres

How big is an acre?

Militia A group of citizens acting as a military force, usually all able-bodied men (p. 169) Second Amendment: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Federalist A person who believes in sharing power between the states and the national government

Centralist A person who believes the power should be concentrated in the national government (p.173)

1876

Mexico in 1821

Moses Austin Paves the Way Moses Austin was the first Anglo American to secure permission from the Spanish authorities to bring American settlers to Texas. After Austin’s business failed, he traveled from his home in Connecticut to San Antonio to regain his fortune. His request of Spanish authorities to bring 300 Anglo American families to Texas was turned down at first. In 1821, Austin’s friend Baron de Bastrop influenced the Spanish governor to give Austin the permission he sought.

Why did Moses Austin seek to bring families to settle in Texas? He sought a way to recover his wealth after his business failed, and settling families in the new land was a way to do that.

Stephen F. Austin Continues His Father’s Work The journey home from San Antonio was hard, and Moses Austin fell ill He asked his wife to write to his son Stephen asking him “to carry out the ‘Texas Venture.’” Moses Austin died on June 10, 1821. Stephen Austin journeyed to San Antonio in August 1821 to carry out is father’s plan.

Why did Stephen Austin travel to San Antonio? He wanted to carry out his father’s plan to settle colonists in the area.

Austin Sets Colony Boundaries Austin decided that the region between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers would make a good colony because it had rich soil, access to water, and a warm climate. (15) Austin requested land along the coast to land the settlers and supplies.

How did Austin expect his settlers to travel to Texas? He expected them to come by ship.

Advertising for Colonists Austin promised 640 acres for each man, 320 acres for each woman, 160 acres for each child, and 80 acres for each slave. The land would cost 12.5 cents per acre. Settlers were required to become Texas citizens, take an oath of allegiance to Mexico, and become Catholic. (20) Austin hoped to attract settlers of greater education and wealth because he thought they might prove to be more dependable. (14)

Good Land and Low Prices Attract Settlers Austin’s advertisement attracted many people. Most of the settlers in Austin’s first colony were Anglo Americans (18) Most early colonists owned small farms and a few cows and horses. In March 1822, Austin learned that Mexico had won independence from Spain the previous year. The new government did not recognize Austin’s right to colonize Texas.

Why was Mexican independence from Spain unfavorable for Austin? Previously, permission to colonize was given by the Spanish government; after Mexican independence, the new government did not recognize that permission as legal.

Austin Impresses Mexican Leaders Austin traveled to Mexico City seeking approval for his settlement. While in Mexico City Austin learned Spanish and gained an understanding of Mexican culture. (17) In 1823, the Mexican government was impressed by Austin’s honesty and sincerity and passed a colonization law, giving him the contract. Austin went on to become the most successful of the empresarios. (19)

The Constitution of 1824 In 1823, the Mexican Federalists overthrew the Mexican Centralist government, and Mexico became a republic giving the states a voice in government. Coahuila, one of Mexico’s new states, and Texas were joined into one state.

Mexico Passes Colonization Law In 1824, the Mexican government passed laws to regulate colonization. The law limited the amount of land anyone could receive and permitted only permanent residents to acquire land.

How State Colonization Laws Worked A family received up to 4,428 acres (one league) for $30. For every 100 colonists brought to Texas, an empresario received about 23,000 acres. The empresario had six years to bring in 100 families before a colonization contract was canceled.

How did empresarios profit from bringing colonists to Texas? They received 23,000 acres of land for every 100 colonists they brought.

The Most Successful Empresario Stephen F. Austin received four additional contracts under the new laws. In 1828, Austin received special permission to settle 300 families in a 10-league zone along the coast.

V. Why Austin’s Colonies Succeeded (pages 175-176) Austin skillfully dealt with Mexican authorities, and his colonists easily received their titles. Native Americans became less of a threat. Austin’s grants contained some of the most fertile and best-watered land.

Why did Austin’s colonists succeed? Austin chose the most fertile land, he succeeded in obtaining title to the land for colonists, and Native American attacks became less frequent.

Other Empresarios By 1833, Texas had about 20,000 people. Land in Texas was cheap, and many Americans believed that the United States would buy eastern Texas. The idea of Texas becoming part of the United States made the land even more attractive. Many people decided to become empresarios.

VI. Green DeWitt’s Success (page 176) Green DeWitt was authorized to bring in 400 families, who settled west of Austin’s first colony with Gonzales as their headquarters. By 1831, DeWitt had issued 166 land titles. By the 1830s, the Mexican government became concerned that too many outsiders from the United States were entering Texas. The government passed the Law of April 6, 1830, to limit immigrants to Texas. The law kept DeWitt’s colony from growing. (13) As a result, DeWitt did not fulfill his contract and made no money

Martin De Leon Martin de Leon settled 200 families along the Guadalupe River. Martin De León’s colony was given preference over neighboring colonies in border disputes because he was a native Mexican. (16)

Various Nationalities Settle in Texas Most Texas immigrants were from the United States. (21) Others were from Mexico. The Mexican government opposed slavery. Anglo Americans argued that slave labor was essential.