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Chapter 8 Section 3 Notes Essential Question: What problems did the Austin colony face?

Problem’s in Austin’s colony • drought and Indian attack • Austin set up system of government with a mixture of Mexican and US laws • set up a militia to lead attacks against Indians and tried to establish peace with some Indian groups

Old Three Hundred • • • •

297 families and single men settled by 1824 known as the Old Three Hundred most came from southern US (Louisiana) in 1825 440 enslaved Africans Americans lived among 1,790 colonists

Capital of Austin’s Colony • Austin founded San Felipe de Austin in 1824 • located in center of colony halfway between coast and the El Camino Real • became largest business center in Texas after San Antonio • Austin acquired contracts for 4 more colonies between 1825-1831

Chapter 8 Section 4 Essential Question: What are Empresario’s?

Colonization Laws• Mexico passed the National Colonization of 1824 • Law allowed each state in Mexico to set its own colonization policies • 1824 The Mexican government formed the state of Coahuila y Texas • Baron de Bastrop was first Texas citizen to serve in its government • Coahuila y Texas passed the State Colonization Law of 1825 which opened Texas up to further immigration

• other people followed footsteps of SF Austin and became empresarios (business people who promoted settlement) • Empresarios received: – 67,000 acres of land for every 200 families – Settlers did not pay taxes for 10 years – Settlers agreed to become Catholic and Mexican citizens

Other Empresarios• (1) Green DeWitt settled 400 families -Gonzales was the colony’s main town -Jose Antonio Navarro was colony’s land commissioner • (2) Martin de Leon settled primarily Mexican settlers -developed into important ranching center -Victoria was colony’s main town -US settlers outnumbered Tejano’s three to one

Father of Texas • Stephen F. Austin brought 1500 families to Texas in 1820s • won trust of Mexican officials, Indian leaders, and settlers • became known as the Father of Texas