Mexican Texas

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Mexican Texas

• Age of Empresarios
• p.162

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Austin Establishes a Colony

• Moses Austin received permission from Spain to
  bring American settlers into Texas.
• He was familiar with Spanish laws and
  regulations.
• Moses died of pneumonia before the task was
  carried out.
• Stephen Fuller Austin was determined to follow
  out his fathers plan.

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Austin Sets Colony Boundaries

• Austin explored Texas and determined the region
  between the Colorado River and the Brazos was a
  good place for a colony.
• It had fertile soil, water, natural resources, a
  mild climate, and no other settlements.
• Austin wrote a request for the land to the
  governor and asked for additional land along the
  coast for trade.

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Advertising for Colonists

• Austin began advertising for colonists to move to
  Texas.
• Every man would receive 640 acres for himself,
  320 for his wife, 160 for each child, 80 for each
  slave.
• Austin surveyed, or measured, the land himself.
• Settlers paid 12.5 cents per acre.
• New settlers were required to pledge an oath of
  allegiance to the Spanish government.
• New settlers had to become Catholic and of good
  moral character.

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Austin Impresses Mexico Leaders

• There was confusion In Mexico City over land
  grants.
• The new government had many problems and could
  give only limited attention to Texas.
• Austin was finally given a land grant under new a
  new colonization law.
• Austin received 100,000 acres of land for his
  services as empresario, a land agent whose job it
  was to bring in new settlers to an area.

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Austin Impresses Mexico Leaders

• While in Mexico, Austin learned much about
  Mexican customs and institutions.
• Austin impressed the leaders with his honesty and
  sincerity.

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Men and Women of the Old Three Hundred

• Austin's settlers became known as the Old Three
  Hundred.
• Being the first people to settle in the new area,
  they had the opportunity to select the best land.
• Most chose land near rivers or streams.

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