Empresarios

​Texas Colonization & Empresarios

Unit 6: Texas Under Mexican Rule​

​Who were Empresarios?

​Business people who received contracts which allowed them to bring settlers to Texas; they charged the settlers a fee for this service

​Let's rewind a little...

​The U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. This was a large area of land west of the Mississippi River. The size of the U.S. doubled and now the U.S. had land reaching all the way to the Spanish territory of Texas. The Spanish land had few settlers. People in Mexico feared attacked from Native Americans.

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Multiple Choice

Who were empresarios?

• people who sold land back to Spain

• Business people who received contracts and brought settlers to Texas

• filibusters who stole land

Multiple Choice

What territory did France sell to the U.S. in 1803?

• Florida

• Louisiana Territory

• neutral ground

​Moses Austin

In 1820, Moses Austin asked the Spanish government for the right to bring three hundred settlers to Texas from the United States. The Spanish government was unsure they wanted Americans in their country. With the help of Baron de Bastrop, officials agreed to let the Anglo, or English speaking, Americans come. The settlers promised to become loyal Spanish citizens. ​​

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Moses began work on planning his colony. However, before he could take action on his plan, he became ill (sick) and died.

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Who was going to carry out his colony plan??

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His son, Stephen F. Austin, took his place and carried out his father's plan.

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Multiple Choice

What did Moses Austin ask the Spanish government's permission to do?

• bring settlers to Texas from the U.S.

• to sell Texas to Spain

• to remove Native Americans from Mexico

Multiple Choice

Who convinced Spain that Moses Austin's plan was not to take land from Spain?

• Baron de Bastrop

• Stephen F. Austin

• Martin de Leon

• Green Dewitt

Multiple Choice

After Moses Austin died, who was going to carry out his plan?

• Austin's wife

• his son Stephen F. Austin

• no one; his plan was cancelled

​Stephen F. Austin

In 1821, Stephen F. Austin brought the first three hundred settlers to Texas. The members of the group were called "The Old Three Hundred". They settled between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers. ​

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Many of the settlers that Austin brought settled along the Brazos and Colorado rivers. ​

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Austin eventually also established a capital for his colony, which was called San Felipe de Austin.

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​Austin's Old 300 Colony

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Multiple Choice

What were the first group of settlers Stephen F. Austin brought to Texas called?

• the First Anglos

• The Old 300

• Austin's settlers

Multiple Select

Austin's colony was settled between which two rivers?

• Colorado River

• Rio Grande

• Brazos River.

• Sabine River

After Mexico won their independence from Spain in 1821, Stephen F. Austin traveled to Mexico City to ask the new government for permission to settle his colony.

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Mexico granted Austin his land and agreed to give each family up to 4,608 acres of land. Settlers were to live on the land and become Mexican citizens. ​

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​As Austin advertised his land terms, applications poured in. Austin was very selective in choosing settlers.

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Qualifications for Austin's colony were:

• Settlers had to be hardworking

• They had to be law-abiding

• Agree to become Mexican citizens

• Convert to Catholicism ​

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Settlers were interested in coming to Texas for...

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• Cheap land

• New opportunities ​

​Why come to Texas?

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Multiple Select

What were qualifications for the colony?

(select all that apply)

• Become a Mexican citizen

• Convert to Catholicism

• Be a law-abiding citizens

• Be hardworking

Multiple Select

Why did settlers want to come to Texas?

Select all that apply:

• cheap land

• be friends with Native Americans

• new opportunities

• expensive land

Stephen F. Austin's first colony was a success. Mexican leaders gave land grants to other empresarios as well. These empresarios had contracts to bring settlers to Texas. As payment, the empresario was given land. ​Stephen F. Austin was the most successful empresario and was later known as the "Father of Texas".

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In 1824, Mexican leaders wrote a new plan of government, the Mexican Federal Constitution of 1824. Mexico became a republic (citizens elect their own leaders). Power was divided between the national government in Mexico City and each of the state governments. This is called federalism. ​

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The people of Texas were glad to learn that the Constitution of 1824 had been written. Anglo settlers were pleased because it was similar to the government that they were used to back in the U.S.​

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​Mexican Federal Constitution of 1824

Multiple Choice

Stephen F. Austin became known as.....

• The Father of Texas

• an unsuccessful empresario

• The Father of Spain

Multiple Choice

Under the new Mexican Federal Constitution of 1824, Mexico became a ....

• Republic government

• dictatorship

• monarchy

In today's activity, you'll read about the following empresarios:​

• Moses Austin

• Stephen F. Austin

• Erasmo Seguin

• Baron de Bastrop

• Martin de Leon

• Green DeWitt​

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You will identify their contribution to Texas in your Colonization of Texas chart.​

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​Colonization of Texas Activity...