Warm Up Define Depression Survey Empresario Militia

The 1 st Empresario of Texas Moses Austin

Born October 4, 1761 in Durham, Connecticut. Was a very wealthy businessman/banker for the first part of his life until 1819 when he lost all of his fortune. In 1819, the United State’s Banking system failed and many people lost every penny.

Moses Austin In 1820, Moses Austin traveled to the Presido San Antonio de Bexar to meet with the Governor of the Spanish Texas area. His plan was to bring and settle Texas with Anglo-American settlers. Because of filibusters attacking, the Governor rejected his plan.

Moses Austin After being rejected, Austin met with an old friend of his, Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron of Bastrop (who also lived in San Antonio). Felipe helped convince the Spanish to grant Austin permission to settle with Anglo- American settlers. In 1821, Moses Austin got permission to bring 300 families to Texas.

Moses Austin On his trip back to the United States, Moses Austin becomes sick (with pneumonia) and eventually dies. His son, Stephen F. Austin takes on his father’s work and begins to continue to carry out Moses’ plan to colonize Texas.

Stephen F. Austin and the Empresarios

Agenda Warm Up Lecture/Questions Letter Reading Activity(if time allows)

Spain (until 1821) and Mexico United States

Mexico

Nacogdoches San Antonio Goliad Saltillo San Antonio Goliad Nacogdoches Saltillo (captial of CyT) 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 Towns already in Texas when Moses Austin showed up

Moses Austin (Stephen F. Austin’s Father) Stephen F. Austin The first Anglo American to get permission from Spain to bring American settlers to Texas Lived in Missouri until a depression hit the U.S. and he lost all his money Went to Texas to ask the Spanish government if he could have a contract to bring Americans to settle Texas The Spanish were suspicious that Austin was really there to grab land until Baron de Bastrop convinced the Spanish officials otherwise Then… Moses Austin died Empresarios – The Beginning Ok Dad… I’ll carry out your plans for settling Texas. The Spanish word for a land agent whose job it was to bring in new settlers to an area.

How It Worked… Stephen F. Austin was the first to get his contract approved by the Spanish (and then the Mexican) government… so he was the first EMPRESARIO (he was also the most successful) Each empresario would sign a contract with the government of Mexico whereby they promised to settle a certain number of families (in Austin’s first contract he was supposed to settle 300 families)

REQUIREMENTS FOR SETTLING IN TEXAS: How It Worked… Each settler paid Austin $0.12 an acre You had to become Catholic You had to become a citizen of your new country (Spain, and later Mexico) You had to be of good moral character

After securing his contract with Mexico, Austin traveled around Texas and found what he thought was the best land for settling What are some things that make land good for settling?

The deal that Stephen F. Austin worked out with Spanish (and then Mexican) officials included the following: Every man who came to Austin for land would receive 640 acres for himself 320 acres for his wife 160 acres for each child 80 acres for each slave

Austin’s First Colony Austin’s choice for his first colony was between the Colorado and the Brazos Rivers Austin’s colony included a port because he knew he would need it to get settlers and supplies to the colony

Austin’s First Colony Everything went well until 1822: In 1822, the Lively shipwrecked and Austin lost a lot of supplies and colonists Mexico won it’s independence from Spain in 1821… so now Austin had to get permission to colonize Texas from the new Mexican government Austin got a ship, the Lively to take people and supplies to the new colony from New Orleans

SuccessesProblemsEmpresarioCapitalLocation Major Empresario Grants McMullen and McGloin Along the Gulf Coast San Patricio FarmingIrish Power and Hewetson South of De Leon along the Gulf Coast Refugio Native American Raids Irish Refugio was built on the site of an old Spanish Mission Martin De Leon South of De Witt along the Guadalupe- Near the coast Victoria Native American Raids Forced to leave TX because of anti- Mexican sentiments Did a lot to promote the cattle industry in Texas Victoria important center for trade between Mexico and Texas Green DeWitt West of Austin’s 1 st Colony Gonzales Native American Raids Settled 166 families 2 nd in number to Austin Stephen F. Austin (Father of Texas) Between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers San Felipe de Austin Drought Tonkawa & Kawakawa Lively shipwrecked Disputes over boundaries Mexican gov’t revoked right to settle Convinced Mexican gov’t to let him settle Father of TX – 1 st colonize Americans Settled nearly 300 families

Nacogdoches San Felipe de Austin San Antonio Gonzales Goliad Saltillo 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…