Mexican Mexican IndependenceIndependence

and the and the Empresario EraEmpresario Era1821-18361821-1836

Mexican UnrestMexican Unrest By the early 1800s, residents of By the early 1800s, residents of MexicoMexico were were

tired of being tired of being ruledruled by by SpainSpain.. PovertyPoverty and and racismracism in “New Spain” were in “New Spain” were

extreme:extreme: EuropeanEuropean-born Spaniards, called -born Spaniards, called peninsularespeninsulares, ,

occupied the highest positions of wealth and occupied the highest positions of wealth and power.power.

Next were Next were criolloscriollos, Spaniards born in the , Spaniards born in the AmericasAmericas..

MestizosMestizos,, people of mixed people of mixed SpanishSpanish and and IndianIndian heritage, were near the bottom of the heritage, were near the bottom of the socialsocial scale. scale.

At the very bottom were the At the very bottom were the IndiansIndians..

A graphical representation of New Spain’s social status order.

The Seeds of RevolutionThe Seeds of Revolution

On On September 16September 16, 1810, , 1810, Miguel Hidalgo Miguel Hidalgo y Costillay Costilla, a , a priestpriest from the town of from the town of Dolores, began a Dolores, began a revoltrevolt against against SpanishSpanish rule.rule. His call for revolt became known as the His call for revolt became known as the

““Grito de DoloresGrito de Dolores,” or “,” or “Cry of DoloresCry of Dolores.”.” Father Hidalgo wanted Father Hidalgo wanted allall people treated people treated

equallyequally, regardless of their , regardless of their racerace.. Despite Despite lowerlower-class-class support support, Father , Father

Hidalgo’s revolt was Hidalgo’s revolt was defeateddefeated and he was and he was executedexecuted by the Spanish government. by the Spanish government.

Father Miguel Hidalgo

The “Cry of Dolores,” start of a lower-class revolt against Spain.

The execution of Father Hidalgo in Chihuahua.

Filibusters!Filibusters! A A filibusterfilibuster is someone who engages in an is someone who engages in an

unofficial unofficial warwar on a country. on a country. The unrest in Mexico prompted several The unrest in Mexico prompted several

AmericansAmericans to mount to mount filibuster expeditionsfilibuster expeditions to try to free to try to free TexasTexas from Spanish rule. from Spanish rule. Most wanted to make it part of the Most wanted to make it part of the United United

StatesStates.. The most successful was an 1812 expedition led The most successful was an 1812 expedition led

by Samuel by Samuel KemperKemper and Bernardo and Bernardo Gutiérrez de Gutiérrez de LaraLara. Their army captured . Their army captured NacogdochesNacogdoches and La and La Bahía and forced the Spanish back to Bahía and forced the Spanish back to San San AntonioAntonio..

In 1813, however, their army was destroyed by In 1813, however, their army was destroyed by the Spanish at the the Spanish at the Battle of MedinaBattle of Medina..

The Battle of Medina (1813), in which a large filibuster force was destroyed by a Spanish army. No prisoners were taken.

Mexican IndependenceMexican Independence In 1821, a In 1821, a revoltrevolt in Spain limited the in Spain limited the

power of the power of the kingking and established a more and established a more democraticdemocratic government. Spain quickly government. Spain quickly began to lose its began to lose its controlcontrol of of MexicoMexico..

That same year, the two main groups of That same year, the two main groups of Mexican Mexican rebelsrebels agreed on the agreed on the Plan of Plan of IgualaIguala. Under its terms:. Under its terms: PeninsularesPeninsulares and and criolloscriollos would be would be equal equal.. The The CatholicCatholic Church would keep its Church would keep its powerpower.. SlaverySlavery would be would be illegalillegal..

On August 24, 1821, the new On August 24, 1821, the new nationnation of of MexicoMexico was born. was born.

The Plan of Iguala (1821), which resulted in Mexico’s independence from Spain.

Effect on TexasEffect on Texas

Mexico now Mexico now ownedowned Texas, but only about Texas, but only about 2,500 Mexicans actually lived there.2,500 Mexicans actually lived there. Most Mexicans did not want to move to Most Mexicans did not want to move to

Texas because of Texas because of hostilehostile IndiansIndians like the like the Comanche and Apache.Comanche and Apache.

Mexico still worried that the Mexico still worried that the United United StatesStates was interested in was interested in annexingannexing Texas Texas (adding it to its own (adding it to its own territoryterritory).).

Despite the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 in which the U.S. renounced any claim to Texas, Mexico worried about its northern neighbor’s territorial ambitions.

The Colonization LawsThe Colonization Laws The Mexican government tried to The Mexican government tried to encourageencourage

more Mexicans to move to Texas:more Mexicans to move to Texas: The The Colonization LawColonization Law of 1823 allowed of 1823 allowed settlerssettlers to to

buy large amounts of buy large amounts of landland at very low cost. They at very low cost. They also didn’t have to pay also didn’t have to pay taxestaxes for 6 years. for 6 years.

In In 18241824, Mexico passed a new , Mexico passed a new constitutionconstitution establishing a establishing a federalfederal system like the U.S. system like the U.S. Texas was merged with the Mexican state of Texas was merged with the Mexican state of

Coahuila to form a new state, Coahuila to form a new state, Coahuila y TejasCoahuila y Tejas.. The Colonization Law of 1824 gave the state The Colonization Law of 1824 gave the state

governorgovernor the right to set the the right to set the rulesrules for for colonizationcolonization..

The state flag of Coahuila y Tejas, formed in 1824.

The Empresario SystemThe Empresario System

Under the colonization laws, Under the colonization laws, empresariosempresarios (Spanish for “ (Spanish for “contractorcontractor”) ”) were responsible for settling Texas.were responsible for settling Texas. EmpresariosEmpresarios acted as acted as landland agentsagents, ,

recruiting a certain number of people to recruiting a certain number of people to move to Texas.move to Texas.

They They providedprovided settlers with settlers with loansloans and and suppliessupplies. They also acted as the colony’s . They also acted as the colony’s representativerepresentative to the Mexican to the Mexican governmentgovernment..

For their services, the empresarios were For their services, the empresarios were paidpaid with large with large grantsgrants of of landland..

The Empresario SystemThe Empresario System

Most Most settlerssettlers in in empresarioempresario colonies colonies came from the came from the United StatesUnited States..

To obtain To obtain permissionpermission from the from the MexicanMexican government to own land in government to own land in TexasTexas, , these settlers had to agree:these settlers had to agree: To become loyal To become loyal citizenscitizens of of MexicoMexico;; To become To become CatholicCatholic; and; and To actually To actually livelive on the on the landland..

Moses AustinMoses Austin The first The first AngloAnglo empresario in Texas was empresario in Texas was

Moses AustinMoses Austin, a failed businessman who , a failed businessman who had once helped the had once helped the SpanishSpanish government settle parts of Missouri.government settle parts of Missouri.

He proposed settling He proposed settling Anglo-AmericansAnglo-Americans in in TexasTexas..

Fearful of Fearful of filibustersfilibusters, the Spanish at , the Spanish at first first rejectedrejected his proposal in 1820. his proposal in 1820.

Before he could gain final approval, he Before he could gain final approval, he dieddied in June 1821. His dying in June 1821. His dying requestrequest was that his was that his sonson, , StephenStephen, would , would continuecontinue his work. his work.

Moses Austin, the first Anglo empresario to receive permission to colonize Texas.

Stephen F. AustinStephen F. Austin

Thanks largely to the help of a prominent Thanks largely to the help of a prominent TejanoTejano, , Erasmo SeguinErasmo Seguin, the new , the new MexicanMexican government government allowedallowed Austin to succeed Austin to succeed his father as empresario.his father as empresario.

For his colony, he chose a spot between For his colony, he chose a spot between the the ColoradoColorado and and BrazosBrazos Rivers that Rivers that offered ideal offered ideal farmingfarming land. land.

Austin was careful to recruit only Austin was careful to recruit only honesthonest, , hard-workinghard-working settlers with the key settlers with the key skillsskills needed to establish the colony. needed to establish the colony.

Stephen F. Austin, the “Father of Texas.”

Life in Austin’s ColonyLife in Austin’s Colony The first The first Anglo-AmericanAnglo-American families of families of

Austin’s colony became known as the “Austin’s colony became known as the “Old Old Three HundredThree Hundred.”.”

Life in the colony was Life in the colony was hardhard at first: at first: Colonists lived in Colonists lived in loglog cabins. cabins. They had to make their own They had to make their own clothesclothes, soap and , soap and

tools.tools. They They foughtfought with hostile with hostile KarankawaKarankawa Indians. Indians. They didn’t even have They didn’t even have schoolsschools!!

However, by 1825 the colony’s However, by 1825 the colony’s populationpopulation had had growngrown to about 1,800 people. to about 1,800 people. Almost 450 of them were African Almost 450 of them were African slavesslaves..

Life was rustic in Austin’s colony.

A replica of a settler’s home near San Felipe de Austin, the capital of Austin’s Old Three Hundred colony.

Austin’s success prompted other empresario attempts to settle Texas.

Other EmpresariosOther Empresarios

Martín De LeónMartín De León Only empresario to found a colony in Only empresario to found a colony in

Texas using Texas using MexicanMexican settlers. settlers. Established the current city of Established the current city of VictoriaVictoria..

Green DeWittGreen DeWitt Received a contract to settle 400 Received a contract to settle 400

families along the Lavaca, families along the Lavaca, San MarcosSan Marcos and and GuadalupeGuadalupe Rivers. Rivers.

Founded the town of Founded the town of GonzalesGonzales..

Martin De Leon, the only Mexican empresario.

Green DeWitt, probably the most successful empresario

besides Stephen Austin.

Other EmpresariosOther Empresarios

Haden EdwardsHaden Edwards Received a contract to bring 800 Received a contract to bring 800

families to an area near families to an area near NacogdochesNacogdoches in in 1825.1825.

Came into Came into conflictconflict with with settlerssettlers already already in the area.in the area.

Edwards declared Texas an Edwards declared Texas an independentindependent nation, calling it the nation, calling it the Republic of FredoniaRepublic of Fredonia..

SoldiersSoldiers from Mexico and from Mexico and militiamilitia from from Austin’sAustin’s colony helped colony helped endend the revolt the revolt quickly.quickly.

Haden Edwards, founder of the short-lived

“Republic of Fredonia.”

The Republic’s flag.

The Empresario System The Empresario System EndsEnds

The The empresarioempresario system dramatically system dramatically increasedincreased the population of Texas: the population of Texas: Less than 3,000 people in 1820Less than 3,000 people in 1820 About 25,000 by 1835 (including 2,000 About 25,000 by 1835 (including 2,000

slaves)slaves) MexicoMexico was worried, however, about was worried, however, about

settlers’ settlers’ loyaltyloyalty.. By the mid-1830s, Texas was By the mid-1830s, Texas was divideddivided

between between AngloAnglo settlers in the settlers in the northnorth and and easteast and and TejanosTejanos in the in the southsouth..

Statue of Stephen F. Austin near San Felipe de Austin.