1. Empresarios

2. Empresario (1)
Spanish word for “contractor”, a person who puts together business deals. In this period they were land agents.
Most Empresarios did not come from Mexico

3. Mexico in Ruins (2)
Many farms and homes were destroyed after the Mexican War for Independence in 1821
Only 2,500 Mexicans lived in all of Texas (This includes soldiers)
Many people moved to towns for safety
Native Americans dominated the lands (Mostly in the Great Plains/North Central Plains Regions)
Despite this, Texas seen as a land of opportunity

4. Opportunity In Texas (3)
Many Mexicans preferred ranching and farming
Texas was perfect for that!
Mexico was also worried about its neighbor the U.S.!

5. Colonization Laws (4)
To promote “Mexican Settlement” in Texas, Mexico passes colonization laws to get people to Texas
They wanted Anglo settlers to act as a “buffer” between the Spanish and Comanche's

6. Mexican Colonization Laws (5)
Under these laws settlers could:
Get large amounts of land at a low price
Not pay taxes for six years
Settlers from other countries (U.S.) had to become Mexican citizens
Empresarios were contracted to settle Texas and make sure settlers followed the rules

7. Texas Provides Opportunity (6)
Texas offered many people in both the U.S. and Mexico a second chance at building a new life

8. Moses Austin (7)
Born in Connecticut and later moved west and made a fortune in Retail, Mining and Banking
Lost his fortune during the Panic of 1819 (Recession)
Contracted by Spanish to settle 300 Anglo settlers in Texas
Moses Austin dies on June 10, 1821

9. Stephen F. Austin (8)
Takes over for his dead father (Moses) at age 27.
Chose the site that is now San Felipe, Texas to serve as the center of his colony
Had to ask for permission to keep colony once Mexico won its Independence

10. Old Three-Hundred (9)
Moses and Stephen F. Austin’s first group of settlers who established the Austin Colony
Most came from the southern United States
(Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and other southern states)

11. Southern U.S. States

12. Austin’s Colony

13. Texas Land Grants
What inferences can you draw from this map regarding the land grants of the Texas region?
What inferences can be made about the above map?

14. Martin De Leon (10) Mexican Empresario
Colony was located along the Guadalupe River
Main town in his colony became the city of Victoria, Texas
162 families eventually settled there
Most of those families were from Mexico
Very successful Empresario

15. Green DeWitt (11) Born in Kentucky
Settled 400 families along Lavaca, San Marcos, and Guadalupe Rivers
His land grant accidently included some of Martin De Leon’s territory
Mexican officials ruled in favor of De Leon and pushed DeWitt further west
DeWitt founded the town of Gonzales, Texas
Like De Leon, he was also a very successful land agent

16. Haden Edwards (12)
Contracted to settle 800 families near Nacogdoches (East Texas)
Was told by Mexico to settle elsewhere because people already lived in the area
Defied Mexico and settled in the area anyway
Told people already living there that they had to show proof of ownership or pay him

17. Haden Edwards(13) Mexico cancels Edwards contract
Edwards had a bad reputation and was greedy
Edwards got mad and declared Texas free
Called his new country The Republic of Fredonia
Soldiers from Mexico with the help of Stephen F. Austin’s militia crushed Edwards and his revolt