THE ANGLO­ AMERICAN TEXANS THE TEXIANS AND THE TEXANS . THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES ATSANANTONIO ........................................_ , THE ANGLO-AMERICAN TEXANS The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio 1985 THE TEXIANS AND THE TEXANS A series dealing with the many peoples who have contributed to the history and heritage of Texas. Now in print: Pamphlets - The Afro-American Texans) The Anglo-American Texans) The Belgian Texans) The Chinese Texans) The Czech Texans) The German Texans) The Greek Texans) The Indian Texans) The Italian Texans) The J ewish Texans) The Lebanese Texans and the Syrian Texans) The Mexican Texans) Los Tejanos Mexicanos (in Spanish), The Norwegian Texans) The Spanish Texans) and The Swiss Texans. Books - The Danish Texans) The English Texans) The German Texans) The Irish Texans) The Japanese Texans) Th~ Polish Texans) and The Wendish Texans. The Anglo-American Texans ©1975: The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio John R. McGiffert, Executive Director International Standard Book Number 0-86701-028-2 Second edition, 1985; second printing, 1989 Printed in the United States of America Front Cover: Anorrymous Couple Back Cover: Hallettsville THE ANGLO-AMERICAN TEXANS .' , ~ /( ,;;~~~.~ ~<-~", ..~ ~; Immigrants at a noonday halt fter three centuries of Span­ generation north Europeans whose Anglos represented about 80 percent ish domination, Texas in families had moved to the eastern of the population. Today the figure A 1820 had an estimated immi­ and southern United States. Most has dropped to about 65 percent. grant population of about 4,000- were of Anglo or Saxon or Norman Though settlers came to Texas mostly from Spain or Mexico. Texas stock, but there were also Irish, from many lands, the Anglos, Indians were estimated at an addi­ Welsh, Scandinavian, German, and numerically predominant, controlled tional 15,000. a minority of central and southern social and political affairs and the Then in 1821 the border was Europeans lumped together in the economy. Their legal, educational opened to immigration from the group called Anglo-American. and religious institutions prevailed, United States. Fifteen years later This wave of immigration from with heavy borrowing from the Span­ there were some 38,000 settlers in the East engulfed the whole area of ish and Mexican cultures. Texas of which 30,000 were from the Texas. In 1821 there were four major Spain, which ruled Texas until United States. These latter are called Spanish towns in Texas, three areas 1821, came to distrust the aggressive Anglos, a term usually meaning that oflight settlement and ranching, and Yankees and excluded them from an individual's language was definite­ four major roads. One hundred years immigrating to her American terri­ ly English and that he was probably later the frontier was gone. Most of tories. Nevertheless, there were a of English heritage. Most of the Texas had been converted to farms, surprising number of Anglos in Anglos were, in fact, second or third ranches, towns and cities. In 1836 Spanish Texas. Some had acquired .3 1 self-government. Some were veterans of the American Revolution. Many more were the sons and grandsons of Washington's troops, nourished on the legend of Yankee invincibility. They came better armed and in greater numbers than any other people to enter the land called Texas. PETER SAMUEL DAVENPORT 1794 Most spectacularly successful of the Anglo-Americans in Spanish Texas was Peter Samuel Davenport. A Pennsylvanian by birth, he had become a Spanish subject and pros­ Plowing on the prairie perous trader at Natchitoches. In 1794 he moved to Nacogdoches and Spanish citizenship in Florida and United States and Texas was for became one of the first Anglo settlers Louisiana and -Spanish by political many miles an easily forded river. in Texas. Within four years he was definition, Anglo by race-were The woods on the Texas side were as a partner in the House of Barr and admissible. A few others simply green, the prairies as lush and the Davenport which held a monopoly slipped in unnoticed. creeks'~ as clear as those on the United on trade with the east Texas Indians. The Nacogdoches census of States side. Immigrants from the The firm prospered, and Davenport 1804 listed 13 Anglos who had lived United States found the new land became one of the wealthiest land­ in the area at least since 1800. Other "comfortably familiar. holders of the province. settlers drifted into northeastern Europeans had to mak~ a long, In 1812 he violated his alle­ Texas. They probably neither knew hazardous and expensive ocean voy­ giance to Spain by joining the Guti­ nor cared whether they were on age to Texas. Mexicans, arriving errez-Magee expedition and donat­ United States or Spanish soil. And from the south, faced a hard trek ing supplies and arms to the cause. they were far removed from regular through a wide semidesert area on When this expedition failed to carve Spanish border patrols. both sides of the Rio Grande to reach Spain ceded Louisiana to more hospitable territory. France, which sold it to the United States in 1803. Suddenly this Louisi­ PROFESSIONAL PIONEERS ana Purchase put the Anglo frontier on the border of eastern Texas. Of all those who came to Texas, only the Anglo-Americans had two gener­ ations of successful pioneering in EARLY POPULATION their recent experience. Their fathers Most of the early population of Texas and grandfathers occupied successive came from the United States, three­ frontiers, drove out the Indians and fourths from the nearby agricultural tamed the wilderness. They yearned South. Like others, these people were to exploit the land and move on to attracted by cheap land. In 1820 the the newer, greener fields further west. United States Congress enacted a law This was a philosophy which many declaring that public lands had to be Mexicans could not understand. To bought for cash-$1.25 an acre - a them, land represented permanent price few people could then afford. wealth; it symbolized power and In Texas a family could secure 4,605 prestige. They established roots, acres of land by paying small fees to living on the land until they could the surveyor and the empresario. pass it on to posterity. Another reason for a large The Anglos also had extensive Anglo influx was a convenient geog­ experience in waging successful revo­ raphy. The border between the lution and establishing permanent Peter Samuel Davenport 4 a permanent, independent republic FILIBUSTERS Lawrence, a native of Kentucky who out of Spain's holdings, Davenport 1812 became a tough adventurer, Indian fled to Louisiana with a price on his fighter, revolutionary soldier, cattle­ Mexican desires for independence head. He returned in 1819 with the man and settler. There were few from Spain, combined with United Long expedition, which he also things Lawrence did not try after States hopes for a Texas foothold, led helped to finance. Again driven ou:, arriving at his uncle's home in what to a series of filibustering expeditions he spent his remaining days on hIS is now Red River County in 1815. intended to be "liberating" invasions. Louisiana plantation. The uncle, also named Adam Law­ They had varied success, but all were rence, had preceded him to Texas by supplied and supported in the United a few months. States and partially manned by DANIEL BOONE Young Lawrence moved in 1821 Anglo-American volunteers. 1806 to Austin's colony, where he worked First was the Gutierrez-Magee on Simon Miller's farm. In 1830 he Not all of Spain's subjects in Louisi­ expedition which i~vaded Texas in married Sarah Lucinda Miller, ana were happy with the Spain-to­ 1812. It captured Nacogdoches, La Simon's daughter, and settled on France-to-United States changes in Bahia and San Anfonio - the only New Year Creek in Washington sovereignty. Many Spanish citizens­ towns of consequence in Texas-and County. He became a well-known Anglos among them - moved to established the Republic of the West, Indian fighter and made several Texas or other parts of Mexico in complete with a national flag, Decla­ unbelievable escapes from pursuing order to remain under Spanish rule. ration of Independence and Consti­ Indians, once by leaping with his One was Daniel Boone, nephew and tution. Friction between Anglo and horse off a 15-foot bank into the namesake of the famous frontiers­ Mexican leaders weakened the effort, Trinity River. man. He had come to Opelousas, and in 1813 Spanish General Arre­ Lawrence took part in the Siege Louisiana, in 1794, disgusted with dondo ambushed the revolutionists of Bexar and was at San Jacinto. He the United States' failure to validate on the Medina River, wiping out became a prosperous farmer and his uncle's land titles. The uncle most of them and sending the rest stock raiser, owning thousands of himself had moved to Spanish Mis­ fleeing to the Sabine. acres of Texas land. After the Civil souri for the same reason. The ... In 1819 Dr. James Long raised War the elderly Adam Lawrence younger Boone reached San Antonio a force of men, mostly .Anglo­ went to California and established a in 1806, where he became armorer Americans, allegedly to liberate ranch near the present site of Los at the garrison, repairing guns, Texas on the questionable theory that Angeles. After some years of misfor­ swords and spears of Spanish soldiers. it already belonged to the United tune, including the death of his wife, He remained loyal to his adopted States as a part of the Louisiana Pur­ he returned to Texas, where he died country until he was killed by Indians chase. Long established a provisional in 1878.