Age of Empresarios Texas under Mexican Rule 1821

Age of Empresarios Texas under Mexican Rule 1821 -1836

Reasons for migration to Texas Spanish, later Mexican American reasons: • Land cheaper in Texas • Needed land to be • Got more land, better populated opportunity for • Wanted more agriculture, prospering towns, trade and the arts • good land available • Set up system of • Crop practices empresarios (Contractors) exhausted soil to encourage settlement • Seeking adventure • Escaping problems in the U. S.

Requirements for immigration to Texas • • Good moral character Become Catholic Settlers formed militia Payment for the land G. T. T.

What did the settlers receive? • An amount of land: Amounts varied: livestock raising allowed more land than farming • Land was surveyed at the expense of the empresario (Measured in varas and leagues) • “title” or a legal document giving them proof of ownership to the land

Who were the Empresarios? • Moses Austin: 1821 • Spain gave him contract to settle a Colony of 300 families • Died shortly after contract established • Spain became Mexico

Stephen F. Austin • • Moses Austin’s son Came to Tx to settle father’s affairs Decided to continue Austin Colony Question: would Mexico honor his father’s contract with Spain?

Austin Colony • Located between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers • Included Gulf Coast land • Rich soil for crops • Water sources available • Timber for building • Moderate climate • Settled the “Old Three Hundred” – Texas first Anglo settlers allowed by Mexico.

Some women even held land grants in Austin’s colony which was untraditional for that time. One of the most influential was Jane Long, the widow of James Long. Old Three Hundred mostly U. S. southerners mostly farmers By 1825, ¼ of colony were slaves By 1825 many slaveholders mostly law-abiding Characteristics of The Old Three Hundred fairly well educated

San Felipe de Austin • San Felipe de Austin as the capital - located almost directly in the center of the colony. • 1830’s - it was the second largest business center (next to San Antonio) with a newspaper, a lumber mill, a post office and a hotel • Austin’s Colony WAS A SUCCESS!! • Considered the “Father of Texas. ”

Austin’s Address to Colonists on the Colorado (August 6, 1823) “I feel almost the same interest for (the settlers’) prosperity that I do for my own family – in fact, I look upon them as one great family who are under my care…I have spent much time and lost much property on the coast in my absence…Those who have the means must pay me a little money on receipt of their titles; from those who have not money I will receive any kind of property that will not be a dead loss to me…It is a pleasure for me to benefit my fellow citizens and I will sacrifice my own interest rather than distress them for one cent of money. ”

Map with Mexican States 1825 Coahuila y Texas was one of the largest states in all of Mexico. CC

Green De. Witt • • De. Witt Colony southwest of Austin’s original grant. headquarters were in Gonzales. Settled 166 out of 400 allowed. • Land battle with Martin de Leon…De. Witt lost

Martin de Leon • De Leon Colony – 1824 • Only Mexican empresario – 41 families; no limit on land • Brought mostly Mexicans to live in TX • Modern day Victoria • Land Battle with Green De. Witt… …de Leon won! (probably b/c he and his colonists were Mexican)

Sterling Robertson • Leftwich/Roberston Colony • Northwest of Austin’s Colony • Had enough land for 800 families…very few actually came so he invited less than desirable families to move here. • More accepting of “morally challenged” individuals than Austin was and they argued over this issue.

The Irish Came to Texas Power & Hewetson • Named their capital Refugio • Immigrants died from cholera on way to TX • Border disputes with De. Leon • Only 200 families settled Mc. Gloin & Mc. Mullen • Named capital San Patricio • About 80 families

Lorenzo de Zavala and David Burnet • were active in Mexican politics and received a grant to settle 500 families in East Texas. They sold the contracts (not the land) to the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company • Sold scrips to settlers…gave right to move to TX but no land once they were here.

Haden Edwards • Settled near Nacogdoches (are there advantages to this strategy? ) • Did not treat existing settlers fairly…lost contract! (Who do you think these existing settlers were? ) • Started a rebellion – Renamed his area the Republic of Fredonia (what does this mean? ) – Austin’s militia and the Mexican Army had to come and stop him.

Letter from Edwards to Austin (Nacogdoches, January 9, 1826) “I found on my return from your place that a considerable storm had arisen (among the settlers)…I came out in a hurricane, and promised to send in irons any man who dared acknowledge threat to (me); sounded the (trumpet) all around, bidding defiance to all their threats, and bidding them leave the lands or come forward and make arrangements to pay for them. They are now all friendly; (and) promise to pay me for their lands and spend their lives in my defense. ”

If you were an empresario, which land grant would you have wanted and why? Mexican Land Grants, 1821 -1836

• Population in Texas was almost 20, 000 people. • Towns of La Bahia and Nacogdoches had grown considerably. • There were new towns in San Felipe, Gonzales, and Victoria. • There were many other smaller communities. • The cotton and cattle industries were growing. • Working together, the Mexican government, the empresarios, and the settlers would continue to expand Texas’ population.