Texas History
Fort Burrows
1821 – 1836
5.1 - Colonization and the Empresarios
READ pgs 106 - 112
“Texas ‘a second Eden’, a place where all the best things in life could be found.”
Stephen F Austin (SFA)
With the purchase of the Louisiana territory in 1803, the US increased its territory. Some
people believed that the Louisiana Purchase should include Texas and the Pacific Northwest. Texas
remained a part of Mexico until 1836. Moses Austin and his son Stephen brought the first American
settlers into Texas in the 1820s. Although Texas eventually became a part of the United States,
Spain’s influence is all around. Our first roads were built by the Spanish as they followed old Indian
trails.
During the 1700s, few settlers lived in
Texas.
There were conflicts with Native
Americans. As a result, Mexicans did not want
to live there.
In the early 1800s, more
Mexicans moved to South Texas and they
started cattle ranch on its grasslands. At the
same time, a handful of Americans moved into
East Texas and they built farms. Still, by 1820,
only a few thousand settlers lived in Texas and
about 30,000 Indians lived in Texas.
In 1821, Mexico became independent.
Texas was part of the new country. The new
government worried that the US would try to
take Texas. Mexican leaders made two new
laws to invite settlers.
The laws relied on people called
empresarios, or contractors. The empresarios
were supposed to put together business deals to
settle the land. Each one promised to bring in
a number of settlers within a few years. The
government gave settlers title to the land. Title
is the legal right to own property. Any
American who settled would become citizens of
Mexico.
Under this plan, everyone won (win/win).
Mexico gained more settlers in Texas and the
Empresarios could make money by selling the
land. They also received land for their own use.
Settlers got land at low prices and they also
enjoyed no property tax for six years.
Timeline:
1820 – Spain approves Moses Austin’s colonization plan
1821 - Mexico gains independence from Spain
1822 – Stephen F Austin (SFA) brings his 1st colonists to Texas
1824 – Mexican Constitution of 1824
makes Texas part of the
state of Coahuila y Tejas
( Co-wee-la and Texas )
1828 – SFA receives the last of his five (5) land
Flag of the
Mexican State
of
Coahuila y
Texas 18241836
grants
Main Idea – Changes in Mexico promoted the colonization of Texas in the early 1800s
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Fort Burrows
Vocabulary:
empresario –a person who puts together business deals
(Spanish for contractor)
title – the legal right to own a piece of property
trading post – a store in outpost, where trading/exchanging of ‘goods’ is done
Setting the Scene:
Jose Maria Sanchez of East Texas explored the land of the rolling hills and grassy prairies
between the San Antonio and Trinity rivers. He wrote to the Mexican government, “ There is
nothing that gives the traveler greater joy than the sight of a plain after coming out of the long,
endless thick woods.” Not many Mexican people agreed with him. With few Mexican people
wanting to settle in Texas, their government was concerned that Texas would become a temptation to
other countries to send settlers. They must begin settling.
New Settlers
ÿ
French threat – more Spanish missions / presidios
ÿ
Spanish settlers – La Bahia ( today known as Goliad )
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ÿ
ÿ
ÿ
Pecan Point, TX – a loop in the Red River in Northeast corner of
Red River County ( Next to Bowie County; where AP McGill is from )
1811 – a dozen criminals crossed the river into Pecan Point and were the 1st Americans to live
in Texas
George and Alex Wetmore – set up a trading post
Settlements in Texas
French
La Salle founded Fort St. Louis
in the 1680s
Spanish
Spanish settlers used the mission-presidio
system to found colonies. Only three Spanish
colonies survived into the early 1800s
American
Starting in 1811, some Americans formed small settlements
at Pecan Point
Texas at the End of Spanish Rule
ÿ
In 1821, Mexico’s independence from Spain; about 2,500 Mexicans lived in Texas
ÿ
30,000 Indians in Texas
ÿ
Most Mexicans favored ranching over farming; South Texas GRASSLANDS were perfect for
ranching - East Texas held great promise for farming
ÿ
More Mexicans settled in South Texas after 1821; few Mexican settlers lived in East Texas
ÿ
Spanish Royal Governor – Manuel de Salcedo
ÿ
No real changes to the people living in Texas
Effects of Independence on Colonization
Colonization Laws
ÿ To protect Texas from other countries,
Mexico wanted more Mexican citizens to
live there
ÿ They passed two laws to encourage settlers
to move to Texas
ÿ Most of the new settlers were Americans
ÿ They had to become Mexican citizens
before settling in Texas
ÿ
ÿ
ÿ
ÿ
ÿ
ÿ Colonization Law of 1823
o Settlers received land at very low cost
o They paid no taxes for the next six years
ÿ Colonization Law of 1824
o The state governor received the power to
grant land
The colonization laws allowed empresarios to organize the settlement of Texas
In Texas, empresarios acted as land agents and helped settlers get started in Texas
They also handled relations with the Mexican government
Stephen F Austin (SFA) ( NEW DADDY) was the most successful Empresarios
His father, Moses Austin, paved the way for all of the Texas Empresarios
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National Colonization Law
ÿ
Colonization Law of 1823 – offered large amounts of land for not much money
ÿ
Mexican people did not want to settle in Texas
ÿ
Rule from Afar – lawmakers met in Mexico City to make key decisions about the fate of Texas
o
The Mexican government looked for new ways to settle Texas
o
Settlers from the US buy large amounts of land at a very low cost
o
They would not have to pay taxes for 6 years
o
In return, the settlers would become Mexican citizens
State Colonization Law
ÿ
Gave states the right to set their own rules for colonization
ÿ
The State Governor ( not the National Government ) NOW granted land contracts
ÿ
The contractor would get families to move to Texas from the US
ÿ
Agreed to settle a certain number of people in one place in a set number of years
ÿ
The Mexican government would grant the settlers a title to a piece of land
1528
1685
Gran
Daddy
deVaca
explore
s Texas
French
explore
r
LaSalle
reaches
Texas
Early
1700s
1811
Spanis
h
settlers
arrive
in
Texas
1st
people
from
U.S.
arrive in
Texas
1815
1819
1821
1823
1824
George &
Alex
Wetmore
set up a
trading
post at
Pecan
Point
U.S.
drops
its
claim
on
Texas
Mexico
becomes
independen
t
from Spain
Mexico
passes
its 1st
colonizatio
n laws
Mexico
passes its
2nd
colonizati
on law
1. How did the Colonization Laws of 1823 and 1824 encourage settlement in Texas ?
A. they made land in Texas very inexpensive
B. they established presidios to protect settlements
C. they paid the settlers’ travel expenses to Texas
D. all of the above
2. A title is the legal right to own___ ...
A. a pet
C. a piece of property
B. a business
D. slaves
3.
What was the effect of Mexico’s independence from Spain, on Texas ?
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4.
What problems prevented Mexico from colonizing Texas with its own people ?
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