One Acre of Land Is About Equal to a Football Field

Texas History Fort Burrows 5.2 - Moses Austin – 1761 / 1821

Moses Austin lived in the eastern US for about 30 years. He enjoyed success as a store In 1803, the area became part of the United owner ( entrepreneur ). He also made money States. Austin started a bank. He began to lend running a lead mine. By the 1790s, the mine had money to speculators. These people buy large no more lead. areas of land and then sell small pieces of it. Austin heard that Louisiana had large Soon after he began banking, hard times hit the amounts of lead. In 1796, he asks Spain if he country. The speculators could not sell their land. could look for lead there. He and the government They could not repay Austin. In 1819, his bank made a deal. He was given a sitio of land, about failed and he lost his money. 4,428 acres. He also got several lead mines. In Soon after, he went to Texas. He heard that return, he promised to bring 30 families from the Spain wanted more settlers there. He hoped to US to settle in the area. The Spanish wanted work out a deal like the one in Missouri. more settlers. Austin started his mine in present – day Missouri.

Vocabulary: sitio – 4,428 acres of land ( One acre of land is about equal to a football field ) speculator – someone who buys a large area of land and tries to sell the land ‘bit by bit’ to others filibuster - a person who wages an unofficial war on a country

Setting the Scene: Moses Austin stood in San Antonio, 800 miles from his home in Missouri. It was late December 1820. He had made the rugged, difficult journey to this distant land to start his life over. He hoped that Spanish officials in Texas would help him. However, problems with the filibusters made the Spanish wary of people from the US. Instead, the leaders told him to leave Texas, AT ONCE. It seemed hopeless for Austin. Just then, something strange happened. He saw a man whom he had known in the US almost 20 years earlier, Baron de Bastrop. It was amazing that the two men would ever meet again and remember each other in this far- off place. Even more amazing ‘lucky stroke’ was the fact that the man, Baron de Bastrop, knew the Spanish officials well. Bastrop set another meeting with the Spanish leaders for Austin. He also convinced them to help Austin. Austin’s fortune turned, and the history of Texas would change forever.

1 of 5.2 Printer Copy Texas History Fort Burrows Moses Austin 5 Reasons why Moses Austin is given Spain’s ‘first and only’ contract to bring settlers to Texas

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The Virginia Years  Moses Austin moved to Philadelphia as a young man in 1783; he ran a successful (1st) dry goods store ( general store )  He moved to Virginia, where he established a second store  Always ready for a challenge, Austin bought a lead mine in Virginia  He was so successful, people started calling him the “Lead King” Moving West  Moses Austin’s mine ran out of lead in the 1790s  He looked for new mining opportunities and worked out a deal with Spanish officials; which gave him a sitio of land (4,428 acres) in Louisiana, including several lead mines  They also gave Austin a contract to settle 30 families in Louisiana; the new settlers had to become loyal Spanish citizens Hard Times  Austin started a bank in Missouri in 1803; the Panic of 1819 ruined Austin’s bank and destroyed his fortune  Faced with a new challenge, Austin decided to do what he’d done before—turn to Spain  He traveled 800 miles to Texas in 1820 to talk to Spanish officials; Austin wanted to bring 300 families to Texas  At first, Governor Antonio María Martínez rejected his plan  Austin had a stroke of luck when he ran into an old friend in San Antonio - Baron de Bastrop  Bastrop knew the Spanish officials and had influence with them; he convinced the governor to approve Austin’s plan  He was to be the 1st Empresario of Texas

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Moses Austin – Timeline YEAR EVENT EFFECT 1796

Moses Austin’s Legacy  Austin returned to Missouri to begin carrying out his plans to colonize Texas  The return trip to Missouri was hard on Austin  Rugged land, cold weather  Ran out of food  Very sick when arrived in Missouri  Moses Austin died June 10, 1821 before returning to Texas  Before he died, he shared his plans for the “Texas Venture” with his son Stephen F Austin – *** SFA ***  His dying request was for his son to continue his plan to settle Texas  Stephen promised to carry out his father’s dream 1. What did Moses Austin do before he went to Texas ? A. he trapped furs, ran for governor, and owned a bank B. he ran stores, mined lead, and owned a bank C. he practiced as a doctor, mined lead, and ran for governor D. he ran stores, trapped furs, and mined lead 2. What lucky stroke helped Austin get his “Texas Venture” approved ? A. he found out that he was related to the Spanish governor B. he found a lead mine in Texas C. he ran into an old acquaintance who knew the governor D. he won the lottery 3. How did Moses Austin’s business ventures in his early life help him get a contract to settle Texas ?

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