1. Filibusters and Unrest in Texas
Pages 92-96

2. Threats to Spanish Control
In the early 1800s, most of the Spanish missions had closed
Nacogdoches, San Antonio, and La Bahia were the only major towns in Texas
Native American tribes had control over the rest of Texas

3. U.S. Claims to Texas
Spain controlled the Louisiana Territory from when it was given back to France
In 1803, France SOLD Louisiana to the U.S. and Spain was upset
Spain and the U.S. were unclear as to the border of Louisiana and fought over it for many years

4. Rebellion in Mexico
Spain began to lose control of its colonies in America.
In 1810, Mexico revolted, wanting freedom from Spain.
This fight took more than TEN years!
Since no one knew who really owned the land, fortune-seekers made their way to the Americas and Texas to claim a piece for themselves.

5. Filibusters
Filibuster: a person who starts an unofficial war on a country
These people act for themselves, not for any government

6. Philip Nolan
In the late 1700s, Nolan came to Texas to trade horses to the U.S.
The Spanish was worried that Nolan was plotting against them by making maps of the areas and gathering forces to attack them.
The Spanish got ready…just in case
In 1800, Nolan led a group to attack the Spanish but they were waiting for him and defeated him.

7. General James Wilkinson
Wilkinson was hired by Spain as a double agent to take land from the U.S. and give it to Spain
Wilkinson plotted to take the states for himself
When all this failed, Wilkinson set up a neutral zone between Texas and Louisiana called “The Neutral Ground Agreement”-no one could take the land until the borders conflict was resolved

8. Unrest in Mexico Spain became unstable and talks of revolting began
People in the Spanish colonies did not like the way they were being treated and the high taxes they had to pay
In “New Spain,” people were poor and were placed in a class, or social rank, based on how much money they had

9. Unrest in Mexico
Spaniards in Europe were part of the highest class in society
Second highest: Spaniards born in America
Third and below: “mixed” people-Spanish and Native American heritage
Lowest: Indians
When Spain’s King was dethroned, the Spanish in America decided to take the opportunity to make a change

10. The Cry of Dolores
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest from Dolores, issued the “Grito de Dolores”- a document saying that all people in New Spain should be treated equally
The members of the lower class came together to revolt and capture parts of New Spain
Middle class Spaniards defeated the lower class and Hidalgo was killed
Despite his failed efforts, word spread of Hidalgo’s attempt to revolt and more revolts occurred.

11. The United States Drops its Claim to Texas
When the U.S. bought Louisiana from France, they claimed Texas as part of the Louisiana Purchase
In 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty set the border between the U.S. and Spanish Texas along the Sabine River
The treaty also made it known that Spain owned Texas and the U.S. got Florida

12. Mexican Independence
Pages 97-99

13. Mexico Works for Independence
In 1814, after the rebellion of many filibusters, a plan for a new government was made  a Mexican republic
He was trying to form a republic.
Republic: citizens elect representatives to make laws
This declaration of Mexican independence did not work as well as they had hoped

14. Spanish Events Influence Mexico
King Ferdinand VII regained control of the throne in Spain.
He was forced to accept the Constitution of 1812: gave people rights in New Spain and took away the king’s absolute power
Common people were gaining more power and a new government was formed
Conservatives: wanted to limit changes and keep the old ways (upper class people)

15. Independent Mexico Mexico wanted its independence
“The Plan of Iguala” stated that Mexico would be an independent nation and all the people would be equal
August 24th, 1821: MEXICO GAINED INDEPENDENCE!!!!

16. A New Wave of Settlement
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17. New Settlers Many people wanted to come to Texas
Ft. St. Louis: Built by La Salle, destroyed by Karankawas
Spanish Missions and Presidios started popping up to claim the land in the name of New Spain
Settlers came in to Texas from all over the U.S., Louisiana, Spain, and the north

18. Texas at the End of Spanish Rule
While fighting for their independence, many Mexicans died
The relationship between the Native Americans and the Mexicans was hostile (not very good at all)

19. People wanted to move to Texas because it had:
Rich land
Rainfall
Grassland
Thick forests
Rivers and streams

20. Effects of Independence on Colonization
After all the fighting (for independence) ranches and farmland was destroyed
Filibusters took what they wanted
Mexicans feared the U.S. would try to claim Texas
Mexicans started moving to Texas to claim their land
Problem: Many people did not want to live in Texas because of hostile Indians
Solution: The Colonization Law of 1823 gave people the ability to have large amounts of land at a low cost. This, in turn, made Texas look more promising as a place to live

21. Effects of Independence on Colonization
The State Colonization Law gave states the right to make their own rules of colonization-large families began coming to Texas
Empresario: Spanish word for “contractor,” someone who puts together business deals
Title: legal right to own a piece of property

22. Empresario’s Job Find land for settlements
Agree to settle land with a certain amount of people within a certain amount of time
Find the “right kind of people” to be in the settlement
“Right kind of person means:” a reliable person, no criminal record, has good morals
Helped settlers by: giving them supplies, loans, titles, and they represented the colony to the Mexican government

23. Moses Austin
Pages

24. Moses Austin
A successful empresario who started a dry goods store, opened a lead mine, and was nicknamed “Lead King”
Moved westward where he was given a sitio to settle 30 families from the U.S.
Sitio: 4,428 acres of land (one acre about the size of a football field)
Opened a bank but it failed during the Panic of 1819.
Speculators (someone who buys land using a bank’s money and tries to sell it to others for a profit) could not pay back their loans.

25. Moses Austin in Texas
Austin’s Plan: Create a new colony with 300 families
Result: 1st it was declined. Later on, Bastrop helped him get the plan approved. Moses died after traveling took all his strength from him so his son, Stephen F. Austin, took over his dream of a colony in Texas.

26. Stephen F. Austin and the Old Three Hundred
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27. Stephen F. Austin and the Old 300
Texas empresario  led 300 families to Texas
agriculture: the work of preparing soil, producing crops, and raising livestock
Austin’s Colony was in the perfect spot for great living  great soil for farming and far away from Native Americans
Land in Texas was practically free ($1.25 per acre)

28. In order to be a part of Austin’s Colony:
Pledge their loyalty to Mexico
Could no longer be U.S. citizens
Supposed to adopt the Roman Catholic religion
Could not be a: drunkard, gambler, a user of profane language, or an idler (lazy person)

29. Settlement Begins
In Austin’s colony he didn’t want slaves, but he allowed it because he thought people would not come to the colony if he said no
He had few supplies because they were destroyed in a shipwreck
He got approval for his colony from the Mexican government and he was given even more land!!! 

30. Problems in the Colony Drought killed crops
Fighting with the Karankawas
People died
Militia: group of armed citizens who served as soldiers during an emergency  they protected colonists from Native Americans
New colonists were needed to populate the colony

31. The Old Three Hundred People from all over were a part of the colony
Austin’s Colony: “The Old 300”
297 families got land grants and a few partnerships came as well
Partnership: association of two or more people in a business venture

32. The “Mother of Texas” and Mary Crownover Rabb
Jane Long was one of only a handful of women to receive a land grant in Austin’s Colony
She built a hotel near Fort Bend and people gave her the nickname of “Mother of Texas” for her strength and resolve
Mary Crownover Rabb recorded her memories of the colony in a book called, Travels and Adventures in Texas in the 1820s

33. Life in the Colony
Women cooked, cleaned, built fires, made soap, nursed the ill, sewed clothing, and watched over children
Log cabins were homes
No schools at first in the colony
Peaceful community of people

34. San Felipe de Austin
San Felipe de Austin  The name of the town that served as the heart of the colony where the government offices were placed
Stephen F. Austin worked in this city as the colony’s representative in dealings with Mexico
Stephen F. Austin was very successful in Texas
He was able to secure 900 additional families land in Texas

35. Empresarios and Entrepreneurs
Pages

36. Martin De Leon
The only Mexican empresario to found a colony in Texas  all other empresarios came from outside of Mexico
Wanted to start a colony of Mexican families along the Guadalupe River
162 families lived there and all but 16 came from Mexico

37. Green DeWitt Received a contract to bring 400 families to Texas
DeWitt’s land overlapped De Leon’s so he was pushed westward and founded the town of Gonzales

38. The Irish Come to Texas The Irish settlement faced many problems
Between disease and border disputes, fewer that 200 families ended up settling there

39. Haden Edwards and the Republic of Fredonia
Edwards won a contract to bring 800 families to Nacogdoches
This land was already occupied but Edwards did not listen and forced settlers already living there to prove their ownership of the land
Many refused Edwards demand and his contract was canceled
Edwards revolted and tried to call Texas the Republic of Fredonia, separating Native Americans from other white settlers.
Mexican soldiers and Austin’s militia ended the revolt

40. The Empresario Era Winds Down
Between 1820 and 1835 the population of Texas grew from 3,000 to 25,000 settlers
A census was taken to determine the approximate number of people in Texas
Census: official count of the population in a region
Questions of loyalty rose. Settlers did not follow the Mexican government and wanted to govern themselves as they did in the U.S.
The empresario era came to a close in the mid 1830s.