Texas History Fort Burrows 5.4 - Empresarios and Entrepreneurs READ pgs 123 - 127 Main Idea: Stephen Fuller Austin and other empresarios brought many people to Texas during the 1820s and 1830s.
Vocabulary: census – official count of the population of a region department – a land division within Texas
Setting the Scene: Edward’s colony is near ruin. He should have followed SFA’s advice, “… a continuation of the course you have begun will totally ruin you, and injure all the new settlements.” SFA settlers were thriving. He enjoyed good relations with the Mexican government. He was on good terms with nearby Native Americans. SFA served as a model for other empresarios to follow.
“Texas ‘a second Eden’, a place where all the best things in life could be found.” Stephen F Austin. ( SFA ) S tephen Fuller Austin born in Austinville, VA, November 3, 1793 – died December 27, 1836 Once he became a Mexican Citizen, he changed his name to Estephen Austin. To show his loyalty and appreciation to the Mexican government. Often referred to as the Father of Texas, for the hundreds of families he brought into this state due to the relatively poor economic conditions in the United States at the time, Stephen F. Austin was very successful in recruiting families to move to Texas. On the death (1821) of his father, Moses Austin, he took over a grant to bring US settlers into Spanish Texas. Under the terms of a special act in 1824 and additional contracts in 1825, 1827, and 1828--all granted by the newly independent Mexican government--the colonizer was responsible for the settlement of more than 1,200 American families in Mexican Texas. In 1835, following a period of imprisonment in Mexico City, Austin urged Texans to join federalists in Mexico in revolt against the centralist dictatorship of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. During the Texas Revolution (1835-36), Austin briefly commanded Texas volunteers and then went to the United States to gain support for the Texan cause. He served as Secretary of State of the Republic.
Martin de Leon ( de Leon ) Only Mexican empresario to find a colony in Texas Mexican families colonized on Guadalupe River The main town was Guadalupe Victoria, ( present day Victoria ) 162 families…….all but 16 families were from Mexico Green Dewitt ( Dewitt ) Brought 400 families from the US by 1831 Area along the Lavaca, San Marcos, and Guadalupe Rivers Founded the city of Gonzales DeWitt was an American whose land grant overlapped with De León’s Mexican officials ruled in De León’s favor; pushing DeWitt further west; toward the Comanches Other Empresarios: Robert Leftwich Leftwich, from Tennessee, began a settlement for 800 families along the Brazos River, but then sold his contract to Sterling C. Robertson 1 of 5.4 Printer Copy Texas History Fort Burrows Sterling C. Robertson Robertson settled 600 of the 800 families Stephen F. Austin convinced officials to give him Robertson’s land The two men argued over land for years Lorenzo de Zavala, Joseph Vehlein, and David Burnet Instead of leading settlers to Texas, these land agents sold their land rights to the illegal Galveston Bay and Land Company This unscrupulous practice caused great confusion and cheated many settlers The Irish Come to Texas James, James, James & John – 2 sets of two empresarios from Ireland The only settlers from another continent during the early 1820s James Power and James Hewetson Established the first Irish settlement in Texas Named the capital of the settlement Refugio James McGloin and John McMullen Established the second Irish settlement in Texas Named the capital of the settlement San Patricio Brought fewer than 200 families near Nacogdoches
Haden Edwards – ‘Best known as the empresario that began a revolt against Mexico’ In 1825, Haden Edwards was to bring 800 families to settle in an area near Nacogdoches Edwards discovered the land was already settled; although Mexican leaders previously informed him of families already there Edwards ignored them Asked the settlers already there for proof that they owned the land; if not they had to pay Edwards Mexican leaders felt Edwards did not respect them Mexican leaders cancelled Edwards’s contract, but his colonists had already arrived in Texas Edwards declared Texas an independent nation, the Republic of Fredonia Soldiers from Mexico, helped by Austin’s militia, quickly ended the rev
YEAR EVENT EFFECT Martin de Leon receives a contract to Mexican Families begin to move to Texas 1824 begin a colony in Texas 1825 Green DeWitt begins a colony DeWitt discovers that his grant includes some of De Leon’s land Robert Leftwich receives a grant to Leftwich sells his grant to Sterling Robertson. 1825 settle 800 families Robertson settles no families on the land 1825 Haden Edwards wins a contract to Edwards runs into conflict with settlers already settle families near Nacogdoches living there Lorenzo de Zavala, Joseph Vehlein, & The Galveston Bay & Texas Land Co. cheats David Burnet sell their contracts to the would-be settlers out of their money 1831 Galveston Bay & Texas Land Company
Empresario Era Winds Down The empresarios system was a success Much of Texas was already settled by Anglos and Mexicans
2 of 5.4 Printer Copy Texas History Fort Burrows In 1820, Texas had an estimated 3000 Mexicans & Americans A census taken in the 1830s showed about 25,000 people living in Texas Settlers never accepted the Mexican system of gov’t; wanted to rule themselves, like they did in America, not take orders from officials in distant Mexico They also wanted a voice in the government In 1831, the Mexican government gave the settlers a stronger voice in gov’t They created the Department of Nacogdoches (land division within Texas) They later added the Departments of Bexar and Brazos
YEAR Number of Empresario Number of Families Empresarios Promised Contracts Issued to Settle 1821 1 300 1825 6 2,641 1826 6 1.700 1827 1 100 1828 5 800 1829 3 850 1830 1 800 1831 1 600 1832 1 200
1. What led to the end of the empresario era ? A. the empresarios tried to take over the government B. there were no empresarios left C. much of Texas was already settled by Anglos and Tejanos D. the empresarios went on strike and refused to travel
2. Why did the Mexican government create departments ? A. to help divide the land up fairly among the settlers B. to give settlers a stronger voice in government C. to help government handle all the paperwork on new settlers D. so settlers could govern themselves
3. How did Martín De León contribute to the colonization of Texas ? ______
4. Name other empresarios and how they affected the growth of Texas ? ______
5. Why did Haden Edwards lose his contract ? ______
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