Empresarios

What is an empresario?

• A person who brought settlers into a colony, divided up the land, and enforced the law

• A person from Spain whose mission was to conquer the New World

• A Roman Catholic priest who wanted to teach American Indians about Christianity

• A person with both American Indian and European ancestors

How did Stephen F. Austin contribute to the colonization of Texas?

• He convinced the Spanish Governor in San Antonio to let him bring settlers to Texas.

• He was the only Mexican-born empresario to found a colony in Texas.

• He continued his father's plan of moving families to Texas and establishing settlements, making himself the Father of Texas.

• He planted crops, irrigated them, then supplied the missions with food.

What impact did Martin de Leon have on the settlement of Texas?

• He received a land grant for 500 Mexicans to settle northeast of the Austin colony.

• He was a Texas rancher who brought more than 100 families from Mexico to Texas. He also founded the town of Victoria along the Guadalupe River.

• He drove cattle from southern Texas to Louisiana, and he traded those cattle for needed supplies.

• He was a Tejano rancher and politician who welcomed Moses Austin to Texas. He also did business with Stephen F. Austin and became his friend.

How did the early settlers of Texas interact with their physical environment to meet their needs?

• They built homes using the materials available to them: stones, mud, and timber.

• They made their own furniture from the wood of nearby trees.

• They used the land to grow crops such as cotton, corn, and sugarcane.

• All of the above

When the Mexicans won their independence from Spain, how did this affect the citizens of Texas?

• The Spanish citizens had to leave Texas.

• The Mexican government allowed more American immigrants into Texas, and by 1831 they had signed agreements with 25 more empresarios in order to bring more Anglo Americans to Texas.

• The Mexican government established missions, presidios, and villas to spread Christianity.

• Many Anglo Americans left Texas in order to be loyal to Spain.

How did the early citizens of Texas meet their needs?

• Ranching (cattle)

• Cash Crops

• Traveling Peddlers

• All of the above