Chapter 8 Section 4

The Empresarios

Mexican

Land Grant

Mexico’s New Colonization Laws

• Because Austin’s new colony had so much

success Mexico passed a law to encourage

more immigration

• National Colonization Law of 1824

-U.S. immigrants were not allowed to

establish colonies near the nation’s borders

or along the coast

Coahuila y Texas

• Formed by combining the separate states of Texas and

Coahuila

• This state had its own immigration policy

• State Colonization Law of 1825

-Passed as a result of the influence of Tejano leaders

-This law further opened Texas to settlement and

immigration

Empresarios

• Many people followed Stephen F.

Austin’s example and became

empresarios

• For every 200 families they settled

in the area they received 67,000

acres of land

• Head of household received 4,428

acres for $30

• No taxes for 10 years

• Only requirements: Catholics and

Mexican Citizens

The DeWitt and de Leon Colonies

• DeWitt and his partner James

Kerr received a grant to settle

400 families

• Settlement was located in the

Gulf Coast Plain and Post Oak

Belt

• The fertile soil was great for the

settlers, but the location was

prone to Indian attacks

• Martin de Leon was the

only empresario to start a

Texas colony mostly of

Mexican settlers

• Colony was along the

lower Guadalupe River

• Main Town: Victoria

• He did not specify the

borders so clashes with

other colonies occurred

Arthur G Wavell

• Scotsman

• Tried to establish a colony in Northeast Texas by the Red River

• Conflicts with the United States over the border caused problems

• The colony did not succeed

James Power and

James Hewetson

• Irishmen

• Colony north of the Nueces River

• John McMullen and James

McGloin founded another colony

by the same river

• Known as the San Patricio de

Hibernia, Spanish for “Saint

Patrick of Ireland”

• Cholera epidemic spread

through the settlement

Texas Empresarios

• Lorenzo de Zavala

- Active in Mexican Politics

- 1829-receives contract to

settle 500 families

- Never established the

colony but sold it to the

Galveston Bay and Texas

Land Company

Austin’s Contributions to Texas

• Empresario System- caused

population to boom

• Won the trust of Mexican

officials

• In 10 years he brought more

than 1500 families to Texas

• Known as the Father of Texas