Anglo American Colonization
Essential Questions:
What are the characteristics of a leader?
View Video about early settlers
Moses Austin Plans a Settlement
Fortunes Won and Lost
• While making his living in Missouri by producing lead
(bullets), Moses Austin gained a familiarity with
Spanish laws and regulations that would help him
interact with the Spanish government later on.
• War of 1812 - Events leading up to the war had led to
a depression, or downturn in the nation’s economy
• Demand for lead fell, hurting Austin’s business, and
then a bank that Austin helped create failed. Austin,
like many people at the time, suddenly found himself
in debt.
The “Texas Venture”
• Moses Austin knew that other Americans were
hurt by the poor economy and would be
interested in buying cheap land. He also knew
that the Spanish government was interested in
populating Texas.
• 1820 – Moses Austin met with Governor Antonio
Martínez and proposed bringing 300 Anglo
American families to Texas. The governor
rejected Austin’s plan.
• Then Austin happened to see the Baron de
Bastrop, a man he had once met in New Orleans.
Bastrop was a businessperson and a government
official in Texas. Austin’s idea impressed Bastrop,
who helped convince the governor to reconsider
it.
The “Texas Venture”
• On his way back to Missouri, Austin became
ill.
• Governor Martínez sent Erasmo Seguín, a
leading San Antonio businessman, to tell
Austin that his request had been approved by
the government.
• 1821 – He became the first man to gain
permission from Spain to bring Anglo
American settlers—white, non-Hispanic
settlers from the United States—into Texas.
• Before Moses Austin died on June 10, 1821,
he dictated a letter to his son, Stephen,
urging him to follow through on his dream of
a colony in Texas.
Erasmo Seguin
• Successful rancher and Postmaster of Spanish
Texas
• Well-known and respected citizen of San Antonio
de Bexar
• co-author of (1824) Mexican Constitution and
San Antonio Mayor
• Appointed by the governor to help Stephen F.
Austin
• Later he used his political influence to help
settlers in Texas
• Successful rancher in Texas
• Politically active in San Antonio
• Promoted the interests of Anglo American
settlers
• Served on the committee that created the
National Colonization Law of 1824
The information in the box above best describes the
contributions of …?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Father Hidalgo
Erasmo Seguin
Robert de LaSalle
C
Stephen F. Austin Takes Charge
Austin Explores Texas
• Although he felt a reluctance to do s o, Austin
decided to carry out his father’s wishes.
• September 1821 – SFA began exploring Texas
to find a good site for the colony in the
Coastal Plains between the Colorado River
and the Brazos River. (rich soil, access to
water, and a warm climate)
• Austin asked Governor Martínez to grant
additional land along the coast, which would
make it easier to transport settlers and
supplies to the colony.
A Call for Settlers
• Austin surveyed, or measured, the land to
determine the size and boundaries of his
colony and the plots within it.
• Every free man in the colony would
receive 640 acres for himself, 320 acres for
his wife, 160 acres for each child, and 80
acres for each enslaved person
• Colonists with special skills, such as
merchants, doctors, mill operators, and
ferry operators, could receive additional
land.
SFA’s Expenses and Responsibilities
• Advertise for new settlers
• Apply for land titles (legal documents
showing ownership) and records
• Register new grants
• Travel to meet with government officials
• Hire surveyors to map the land
• Settlers paid him 12.5 cents an acre (only
one-tenth of what land cost in the United
States – US land was $1.25/acre)
Qualifications to Settle
• Display good conduct
• Be Catholics
• Become citizens of their new country—
first Spain, and later Mexico
Advertising
• Austin began advertising in Southern
newspapers for settlers.
• Due to the depression in the United
States, many people were attracted to the
prospect of starting over in Texas. (Cheap
land)
• Arrived by ship, the Lively, and by land
routes
The purpose of the poster above was to …?
A. Encourage colonists to settle in Texas
B. Persuade Spanish residents to leave Texas
C. Invite Native Texans to resettle into lost lands
in Texas
D. Raise money to start a colony in New Orleans
A
Which of the following is not a reason why
immigrant groups settled in Texas in the 1800s?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mexican law offered protection to free African
Americans.
The possibility of becoming rich in gold mining
Lands and resources were plentiful
To escape hardships and problems in their native
lands
B
A Difficult Beginning
• Mexico won independence from Spain in August
1821
• In early 1822, however, Governor Martínez told
Austin that the new Mexican government would
not respect the colony’s land agreements that
had been approved by the Spanish.
• Austin then made the 1,000-mile trip to Mexico
City to discuss the matter with the new
government.
• After reaching Mexico City, Austin found the
government in a period of change and confusion.
Austin’s Time
in Mexico
• Austin stayed in Mexico City one year, using his
time there wisely.
– Learned the Spanish language
– Met important leaders
– Gained a better understanding of Mexican culture
• 1823 - finally granted Austin a contract for his
colony.
• Farmers and livestock ranchers could get 4,605
acres per family
• As an empresario—a land agent who brings
new settlers to an area—Austin received some
100,000 acres of land for himself.
Trouble in the Colony
• Drought
• Lands still needed to be surveyed
• Settlers had disputes, or disagreements, over
land ownership
• The Karankawa along the coast and the
Tonkawa in Central Texas raided settlements,
stealing horses and cattle.
• Austin commanded a militia against the
Karankawa in 1824. (Texas Rangers)
As compared to Spanish settlements, Anglo
settlements in Texas …
A.
B.
C.
D.
Included forts and camp grounds
Were located in East Texas as opposed to West
Texas.
Did not intend to convert Native Texans to
Christianity.
Did not have to follow rules of the
Spanish/Mexican government.
C
1. Why did Moses Austin want to
establish a settlement in Texas?
• Moses Austin and others lost money in an
economic depression. He was looking for a
way to regain his fortune and knew others
affected by the depression would be
interested to move to Texas.
2. Why did Stephen F. Austin end up
founding the first Anglo American
colony in Texas?
• Before Moses Austin died, he dictated a letter
to his son, Stephen, urging him to follow
through on his dream of a colony in Texas.
3. Where in Texas did Stephen F.
Austin start his colony? Why was the
site chosen?
• The Coastal Plain between the Colorado River
and the Brazos River. It had rich soil, access to
water, and a warm climate.
4. How did Mexican independence
from Spain affect Austin’s colony?
• Austin’s contract was invalid after Mexican
independence. He was gone for one year,
while he worked for a new law to allow his
colony to exist.