First Colonists Jigsaw

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN Stephen F. Austin was born in Virginia, but grew up in Missouri. He was well educated, and was studying to be a lawyer when his father, Moses Austin, was planning to take a group of Americans to settle in Mexican owned Texas. Unfortunately, Moses Austin passed away, but not before passing his land grant from the Mexican government to his son Stephen F. Austin. He expected his son to continue on with his plans. There were many delays that caused a lot of frustration for Stephen F. Austin leading up to his trip to Texas. Eventually he was able to bring a group of American settlers to Texas. This group became known as the “Old 300.” This group was made of three hundred American families who received land grants under Stephen F. Austin. Together Stephen F. Austin and the Old 300 settled in central Texas along the Brazos River. Each family received 177 acres if they were farmers or 4,428 acres if they were ranchers. Many families said they were ranchers, even if they weren’t, so that they could receive a larger plot of land. Each plot had access to the river. Stephen F. Austin was known as a kind man and was well respected by all who met him. He was able to successfully form the first large colony of American settlers in Texas, and because of this he is known as the “Father of Texas.” He went on to be an important Texan before, during, and after the Texas Revolution from Mexico. He later died at the age of forty-three of disease. ©2016TeachingintheFastLaneLLC3 MOSES AUSTIN Moses Austin was the first American to get permission from the Spanish government to bring Americans to settle in Texas. He was born in Connecticut to a family that had been in America for five generations. Austin married Mary Brown, who he met in Philadelphia, and had five children. He later moved to Virginia where he grew his tradesman business, Moses Austin and Company. He was very successful and continued to expand his business, this time to include lead mines. He went on to found Austinville around the lead mines, but continued to seek more. He asked for and was given a land grant in Missouri and went on to settle the first American settlement west of the Mississippi River. Here he continued to gain wealth through mining and smelting. Moses Austin went on to found the Bank of St. Louis, the first bank west of the Mississippi River, but it failed causing Austin to lose most of his money. In order to regain wealth Moses Austin decided he wanted to settle an American colony in Spanish owned Texas. He went to San Antonio to get permission from the Spanish government to found an American colony. He was at first denied permission, but a chance meeting with an earlier acquaintance gave him the permission he needed. On his way home from Texas Moses Austin caught pneumonia. Soon after he got home he passed away, but not before telling his son, Stephen F. Austin to continue on with his mission of settling the first American colony in Texas. ©2016TeachingintheFastLaneLLC3 JANE LONG Jane Long had a hard start to life. Her father died soon after she was born in 1798 in Maryland. Her mother moved with her to Mississippi in 1811 and then died the next year. Jane then went to live with her sister. Jane Long met and married a doctor, James Long. Together they moved to Texas where they worked to gain independence from Spain for Texas. While on a mission James Long was killed. At the time of her husband’s death Jane Long was pregnant with their second child, the first American child to be born in Texas. Her supplies ran very low and Jane, her daughter, and a servant were the only people who stayed. That winter Jane gave birth to her second daughter. Jane and her daughters left Texas the following spring, but soon returned to open a hotel in Brazoria. The hotel became a booming business and important part of Texas history. Most notably, a ball and dinner were held in honor of Stephen F. Austin when he returned from being jailed in Mexico prior to the Texas Revolution. Because of Jane Long’s many contributions to Texas history she is known as the “Mother of Texas” to many. ©2016TeachingintheFastLaneLLC3 MARTIN DE LEON Martín de León was the only empresario of Mexican heritage to found a colony and bring people to Texas. His family was originally from Spain and were wealthy, but de León chose to leave and become a merchant instead. He soon traveled to Mexico and joined the army in defending Mexican cities against the indigenous people of the area. He rose through the ranks quickly becoming a captain. He then married Patricia de la Garza, the daughter of a general, and together they became cattle ranchers. They traveled through Texas going to San Antonio and Nacogdoches. It was on this trip that they decided to settle in Texas. They built a ranch in southern Texas where they brought horses, cattle, and goats from their ranch in Mexico. They also tried to catch wild mustangs to domesticate. Martín de León and his wife decided that they wanted to form a colony near their ranch and bring more people to the area. They tried multiple times to get permission from the Spanish government, but were turned down. After Mexico won independence from Spain he was able to get the permission needed from the new government. Together Martín de León and his wife settled forty-one Mexican families along the Guadalupe River and founded the city of Nuestra Señora Guadalupe de Jesús Victoria. This city is now the modern day city of Victoria, Texas. Martín de León died in 1833 of cholera. ©2016TeachingintheFastLaneLLC3.

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