Empresarios and Filibusters
The Deal Makers
Vocabulary
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Empresario
Moses Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Green DeWitt
Land Grant
Filibuster
Philip Nolan
Neutral Ground Agreement
Gutierrez-Magee Expedition
Adams-Onis Treaty
The Deal
• After the United States gained its freedom from
Great Britain in 1783, Anglo-Americans began to
search for new places to settle.
• They looked west of the Mississippi, including
Texas.
• This was an part of Manifest Destiny.
• Spain, however, wanted to control how many
Anglos could come to Texas.
• And, if they came here, Spain preferred that they
become Catholics, spoke their language, and
had a moral character.
Settlers to Texas
• Settlers from America were eager to come
to Texas.
• They were attracted to plentiful, cheap
lands
• They wanted to farm
• They were pioneers who sought adventure
• They wanted to escape the problem in the
United States, such as debt, conflict, etc.
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
• Father Hidalgo, a “good guy”, felt
compassion for his fellow Spaniards
• He felt Spain was unfair to the Spanish
colonists
• On September 16, 1810, he encouraged
his fellow Spaniards to seek their
independence from Spain
Jose Gutierrez de Lara
• Follower of Father Hidalgo
• Invaded Texas to free it from Spanish rule
• Augustus Magee (resigned from American
army) joined
• Easily captured Nacogdoches and then
Goliad
– Magee dies in siege of Goliad
• Americans and Mexicans quarreled over
the new government for Texas
• Americans wanted a government with
elected officials like the U.S.
• Mexicans wanted a government with
appointed officials like New Spain
• De Lara wanted Texas to remain part of
Mexico
• American leaders wanted independence
or for Texas to be part of U.S.
Battle of Medina
• Fought August 18, 1813, along the medina
River south of San Antonio between the
Republican forces of the Gutierrez-Magee
expedition and the Spanish royalist army
• Republican army lost miserably, but it
encouraged others to participate in the
revolution
Spanish Town Life
• Spanish towns in Texas faced many
problems
• They were hit with deadly diseases
• They were attacked by Native Texans
• They had to deal with constant threats of
outlaws
Empresarios
• They set up a system of empresarios. Empresarios
were agents who made all arrangements for settlers to
come to Texas.
America is very
bueno!
Mexico is
no bueno
Moses Austin
• Moses Austin was an empresario who
wanted to bring 300 families to Texas.
• These families eventually became known
as the Old 300.
• He died prior to being able to fulfill his
dream.
• Before he died, he asked his son,
Stephen, to finish this task for him.
Old 300
• The first official Anglo settlement in Texas
• Located along the Colorado river
• Consisted of 300 Anglo-American families
Stephen F. Austin
• Stephen agreed, and brought those
families to settle in Texas, making him
the first official empresario in Texas.
• He was very instrumental in securing
further empresarial grants.
• Considered the “Father of Texas”.
• Green DeWitt was the second most
important empresario.
Filibusters
• A filibuster is someone who goes to foreign
country and starts rebellion, usually to get
something for himself
• Philip Nolan was a filibuster who came to Texas
to capture and sell wild horses.
• Although he had permission to do this at first, he
came to viewed as a trouble maker.
• He was eventually killed in a battle with Spanish
soldiers near Waco.
Neutral Ground Agreement
• After Napoleon reclaimed the area we
know as the Louisiana Purchase, Spain
lost some of its northern territory
• Spain, fearing further land loss to the
United States, made an agreement called
the Neutral Ground Agreement
• This agreement stopped clashes between
U.S. and Spanish military forces in
disputed land along the Sabine River.
Looking Ahead to Conflict
• The Adams-Onis Treaty made it illegal for
Americans to settle west of the Texas/Louisiana
boundary.
• This upset many Americans because they felt is
denied them the right to move west to seek their
destinies (Manifest Destiny)
• At this point, the tensions between Anglos and
Spaniards in Texas are beginning to rise.
Slavery
• 1821- colonists could bring slaves into
Texas
• 1823- sale or purchase of slaves was
outlawed. Required that children of slaves
could be free at the age of 14
• 1827- the legislature of Coahuila y Tejas
outlawed anymore slaves from coming
and granted freedom to all children born to
slaves
• 1829- Mexico abolished slavery, with
Texas as the exception
• 1830- Importing slaves into Texas was
illegal
Activity
• Write an editorial explaining
why Mexico should be
independent from Spain and
include what type of
government they want from
Mexico