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Texas Colonies and Stephen F. Austin

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Title: Texas Colonies and Stephen F. Austin


1
Texas Colonies and Stephen F. Austin
  • Picture Brazos River

2
Background Colonies in Texas
  • Spain wanted people living in Texas but had a
    difficult time getting many people there.
  • Except San Antonio, the civil settlements
    werenot large and closer to Mexico than
    Louisiana.
  • There was a need for population that would soon
    be fulfilled.

3
Moses Austin
  • American born in Connecticut, lived in Missouri
  • Owned a bank in Missouri had problems after
    Panic of 1819
  • Felt Spanish territory (Mexico) was a good
    opportunity to re-establish business prospects
  • Met with Texas governor Martinez who did not
    trust Americans due to filibuster threats
  • Moses Austin leaves the meeting discouraged

4
Bastrop and Colonies
  • Moses meets an old friend, Baron de Bastrop, who
    offered to help him with Governor Martinez.
  • Bastrop helps Moses formally request land to
    bring settlers to in Texas.
  • Martinez approves of the colonies and Moses
    returns to Missouri.
  • He becomes seriously ill on the journey home and
    calls for his son Stephen to see him.

5
Stephen F. Austin
  • Son of Moses Austin
  • Trained lawyer and spent time in Missouri and
    Louisiana
  • As a promise to his dying father agrees to build
    colony
  • Begins the process by meeting with officials in
    San Antonio

Famous Portrait of Stephen F. Austin
6
Austin Prepares for the Colony
  • August 1821, Austin meets with Erasmo Seguin to
    begin planning the colony.
  • He explores east Texas looking for a suitable
    place for the colony.
  • He chooses an area between the Brazos and
    Colorado rivers.
  • The area had rich farm land, water, timber and
    mild climate.

7
Ready the Colony!
  • Austin now goes to Louisiana to advertise for
    settlers.
  • He reports proposed location of the colony and
    land terms to Governor Martinez in Texas.
  • Finances and a ship, The Lively, are secured in
    New Orleans with Joseph Hawkins.
  • Austin sets the terms and price for purchase into
    the colony as well as applicants requirements.

Brazos river
Map of Texas coastline
8
Colonists Requirements
  • Applicants to the colony must meet the following
  • Willing to become loyal Mexican citizens
  • Join Catholic Church
  • Law-abiding citizen
  • Have reputation as hard working
  • No history of drunkenness or vagrancy
  • All others need not apply

9
First attempt to settle Colony
  • The Lively took the first colonists to Texas.
  • The ship landed on the Brazos instead of the
    Colorado where Austin settled in 1822.
  • Many of these settlers returned to U.S.
  • On the second trip to Texas The Lively wrecks
    outside Galveston many supplies lost and
    colonists struggle.
  • Austin goes to San Antonio to report to Martinez
    and seek help and finds a surprise..

10
A New Agreement
  • Austin must travel to Mexico City to renew the
    colonys contract with the new political leaders
    of Mexico.
  • Austin spent most of 1822 in Mexico City trying
    to convince the new leaders to approve the
    colony.
  • In January 1823, the Imperial Colonization Law
    was passed which secured the colony and allowed
    for new settlers to join.
  • Austin gains the respect and trust of Mexican
    officials during his meetings and returns to
    Texas in April 1823.

11
The Colony Grows
  • Austin establishes the first headquarters of the
    colony to help discouraged settlers and secure
    order.
  • He establishes a set of laws to guide the colony
    based on American and Mexican laws. Austin was
    also the only legal authority in the colony.
  • By Fall 1824, the colonys contract was almost
    complete as 297 families had settled in the
    colony.
  • This group became known as The Old Three
    Hundred.

12
The Old Three Hundred
  • These people were
  • Mostly Americans from south United States
  • Farmers with some education
  • Some slaveholders
  • Some important members
  • Samuel May Williams
  • John P. Coles
  • Jared Groce
  • Jane Long
  • They become the foundation of colonization of
    Texas.

Gravestone of David McCormick, member of Old
Three Hundred. He is buried in Brazoria County
13
Further Developments
  • 1824, San Felipe de Austin, near the Brazos,
    becomes the official capital of Austins colony
  • It becomes the financial and political capital of
    the colony and becomes second largest business
    center in Texas. San Antonio is the 1st
  • The new areas of the colony grew between 1825 and
    1831. The Little Colony was separate from
    Austin and was home to 100 new families.

14
Other Empresarios and Colonies
  • 1824- Many changes in Mexican Government
  • Constitution of 1824
  • National Colonizational Law of 1824
  • Texas and Coahuila combined to create new state
    of Coahuila y Texas
  • The success of Austins colonies allows others to
    become empresarios. Some were
  • Green DeWitt- had colony near Guadalupe river and
    founded town of Gonzalez
  • Martin de Leon- founded Victoria, mainly had
    colonists from Mexico

15
Austins Legacy
  • Austins colony settled over 1500 families.
  • San Felipe de Austin and Bastrop were important
    business centers during the colonial times in
    Texas.
  • Mexican officials trusted him and his colonists.
  • He is known today as the Father of Texas.

16
Thank You, Stephen
  • Think about Texas without the contribution of
    Stephen F. Austin
  • We all need to tell him
  • THANK YOU
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