Stephen F. Austin

& the

Empresarios

Imagine that your dad asked you to leave your current life and move to a foreign country. Would you be willing to leave

your home and your friends? Would you be willing to practice a new religion and

learn a new language?

That’s what happened to Stephen F. Austin. Here’s the story!

Moses Austin was Stephen F. Austin’s father. Moses Austin lived

in Missouri and operated a lead mine there. He lost his money and

found himself deeply in debt during the Panic of 1819. He was BROKE!!!

So, what did Moses Austin do?

Moses Austin was ambitious and he had a plan!

He would go to Texas and start a colony! But first, he had to get permission from Spanish officials. But, after their bad experience with filibusters, Spanish officials were suspicious of Anglos from the United States!

Moses Austin got a horse and $50 from his son, Stephen. Then, he and

his slave, Richmond, headed for Texas.

They traveled 800 miles from Missouri to Texas to get permission from Spanish officials to start a colony. In San Antonio

de Bexar he presented a petition to colonize Texas to Governor Antonio

Martinez.

But Governor Martinez said

“No way!”

Did Moses Austin just give up?

No, he got very lucky! While he was in San Antonio he met an old friend named Baron de Bastrop. He told the Baron of his plans for a colony in Texas.

Did Baron de Bastrop help Moses Austin?

Baron de Bastrop was friends with the Spanish officials. So, he used his influence to get Moses Austin’s plan for a colony approved.

Did Moses Austin start his colony?

He hurried back to Missouri to start recruiting colonists. But, his luck ran out! First, he and his slave, Richmond, were robbed. The robber stole all their supplies and their horses. So, they were forced to walk all the way home. Then, Moses got pneumonia and died. On his deathbed he asked his son, Stephen, to carry out his plan of colonizing Texas.

Stephen Austin was only 27 years old. He had planned to be a lawyer. But, he honored his father’s last wishes, and in 1821 he headed for Texas. First, Austin went to San Antonio and met with Governor Martinez to get his father’s land grant legally transferred to his name.

What did Austin do next?

He chose the site for his colony. Austin chose the land between the Brazos and Colorado rivers. It had an ample supply of water. It was not heavily forested and would be easy for the settlers to clear. It would provide fertile soil to grow crops such as cotton, sugar cane, and corn.

Location of Austin’s Colony

Austin decided to locate the first settlement on the Colorado River. This settlement would be the capital of Austin’s colony. It would be called San Felipe de Austin. Here, Austin would build his own home, a dog-run cabin.

If you wanted to come to Austin’s colony – you had to meet his character

requirements!

No Drunkards!

No Idlers!

No Swearers!

No Gamblers!

Next, Austin traveled to New Orleans to begin recruiting colonists. What kind of people was he looking for?

•People of good character•People who were Catholic or willing to become Catholic•People who could provide for themselves•People who could accept hard times•People who would pledge their loyalty to Spain

Austin made sure the people he chose were qualified to come to Texas. Then, Baron de

Bastrop, as an agent of the Spanish government, issued the new colonists titles

to their land.

Texas

Land T

itle

Austin’s grant allowed him to bring 300 families to Texas. These families are known as the

“Old Three Hundred”.

Why did families agree to leave their lives in the United States to

settle in a foreign land?Cheap land was what attracted most settlers! The land in Texas was much cheaper than land in the United States.The land sold for only 12 ½ cents an acre. (Land in the United States was $1.25 an acre.) A man could receive 640 acres for himself, 320 acres more if he had a wife, and 160 acres for each child. And if you didn’t have the money, you could pay out the land over several years.

12 1/2¢12 1/2¢

When did the settlers come to Texas?The settlers began to arrive in Texas in

1821.

How did they get to Texas?

Some traveled on horseback or wagon along the Camino Real through

Nacogdoches. Some even walked.

Austin also purchased a ship called “The Lively” to bring settlers from New

Orleans to Texas.

How did things go in the new colony?

It was tough to be a colonist in early Texas. There were attacks by the Karankawa Indians. There was a drought which caused crops to fail. Supplies were difficult to get. Doctors were scarce in Colonial Texas, and some colonists died of disease.

Some settlers simply gave up and went back to the United States.

But when times get tough – the tough get going!

Texans are tough! Most colonists stayed in Texas and worked hard to make the colony successful. Stephen F. Austin was an outstanding leader, and the colony prospered.

In 1821 Mexico won its independence from Spain.

How did that effect Austin’s colony?

This meant that Mexico now ruled Texas, not Spain. So, Austin had to travel to Mexico City to get permission from Mexican officials to continue his colony. It took a year, but the Mexican government finally approved his request.

Austin was the first empresario. But, were there any others?

There were quite a few other empresarios.

Green De Witt is thought of as the second most important empresario. He received his land grant in 1825. He started a colony just south of Austin’s. His colony’s capital was Gonzales.

Arthur Wavell and Ben Milam received a land grant in Northeastern Texas along the Red River.

Did all the empresarios bring Anglo settlers from the U.S.?

No, Mexico encouraged empresarios to bring diverse settlers from other places.

One important empresario was Martin de Leon. He brought 200 Mexican families to Texas. His colony was between the LaVaca and Guadalupe rivers.

James Power and James Hewetson received a grant to settle an Irish colony on the Gulf Coast. John McMullen and James McGloin also received a grant to begin an Irish colony along the Nueces River.

Haden Edwards received a large land grant in East Texas.

However, Edwards got into a dispute with the Mexican government and lost his land

grant. Joseph Vehlein and David Burnet took over Edwards’ grant.

By the 1830’s the Texas population had expanded to 20,000 people. The

new towns of Gonzales, Victoria, and San Felipe had been started.

Talk A Mile A Minute(Have student stand with back to screen; give student clues to guess the

words on the list/Played like password)

Stephen AustinMoses AustinBaron de BastropOld Three HundredEmpresarioSan FelipeDog-trot cabinGreen De Witt

Pyramid Game(Student stands with back to screen; student is given clues to guess the names of the categories.)

Things Stephen F.

Austin would say

Things an “Old 300”

settler might say

Things Moses Austin

would say

Things Baron de Bastrop

might say