Empresarios Empresario 1 Spanish word for contractor a

Empresarios

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

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

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. !

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

Mexican Colonization Laws (5) • Under these laws settlers could: 1. Get large amounts of land at a low price 2. Not pay taxes for six years 3. Settlers from other countries (U. S. ) had to become Mexican citizens • Empresarios were contracted to settle Texas and make sure settlers followed the rules

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

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

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

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)

Southern U. S. States

Austin’s Colony

Texas Land Grants • What inferences can you draw from this map regarding the land grants of the Texas region?

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

Green De. Witt (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 De. Witt further west • De. Witt founded the town of Gonzales, Texas • Like De Leon, he was also a very successful land agent

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

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