If you are student in Texas, at some point you learned about Stephen F. Austin. Some claim him to be the "father" of Texas, whatever that means.
He is the person who negotiated the first contract with the newly established Mexican government tp bring American settlers into the northern part of Mexico. The area was undeveloped - despite Spain's being in the new world for 300 years - and dominated by the Plains Indians. Mexico was hoping to develop the area - specifically the parts close to the coast. It also hoped that the newly arrived settlers would take the lead in fighting back and containing native tribes.
Despite the focus on Stephen, the more interesting figure is his father Moses.
- Click here for his Wikipedia entry.
He was born in Connecticut in 1761 and moved often. His story is similar to that of many Americans born during the revolutionary era and sought opportunities westward. One of the reasons he did so was to escape debt, as did many others at the time. Prior to his interest in land and land settlement, among other things helped develop the lead industry in the United States.
- Stories from the Trail: The Austins, Lead, and the Father of Texas.
His pursuit of more lead mining opportunities took him to Spanish controlled Missouri in 1798, which eventually led to an agreement with Spain to receive a large land grant with the understanding that he would use it to entice three hundred families to move to Mexican Texas. He died before he could do so, and a revolution caused Spain to lose control of Mexico, which nullified the agreement.
His son Stephen pursued the effort and in 1822 signed the first in a series of contracts defining the terms of settlement. The contract below is the second. Despite its brevity, its the basis for some of the governing system that exists today. Let's walk through it and comment as we do so.
Click here for a look at the entire contract:
- Stephen Austin's contract to bring settlers to Texas, 1825.
Note that this is the second contract, I've yet to locate a digital copy of the first one. This gives us something to look at thought.
Here's a break down of it:
Outline:
Stephen F. Austin’s Second colony contract with permission to settle 500 Catholic families
[Villa de Austin], 4 June 1825.
Manuscript document signed, 2 pages + docket.
Conditions on which the Empresario Stephen F. Austin is authorised by the Govt
. of the State of
Cuahuila and Texas to Colonize 500 families on the vacant lands remaining within the limits of
the colony already established by kind, in the Department of Texas.
- Empresario.
- Coahuila y Tejas.
- Old Three Hundred.
1st The Govt
. admits the project prevented [presented?] by citizen Stephen F. Austin in his
representation of the 4th of February of the present year relative to the Colonization of 300
foreign Families so far as [inserted: is] in conformity with the Colonization Law passed by the
Legislature of this State 24th March last, and hereby designates in Conformity with the 8th
article of said Law, and arguably to his petition the vacant lands remaining within the limits
designated for the colony which he has already established excepting only 10 (ten) Leagues from
the Coast which cannot be colonized except with the previous approbation of the Supreme
Executive power of the Nation agreeably to the Law of the 18th [text loss]
- General Colonization Law.
- League.
[2nd] Possessions given to [text loss] titles within the limits designated shall be respected.
3d. In conformity with the said Law of Colonization of the [24th] March the said
Empresario Citizen Stephen F. Austin shal[l] be obliged to introduce the said families within the
term of 6 [text loss] Counting from the day on which these conditions are signed by the said
Empresario under the penalty of loosing the rights and benefits granted to him by the 8th Article
of the said Law.
- Timing of arrival
- How were people recruited and selected?
4th The families which are to compose this Colony besides being industrious as he offers in
his petition must be Cat[ho]lics, and of good morals proving these qualifications by the
documents required by the 5th Article of the said Law of Colonization of the 24th March.
GLC01160
- Catholic Church in Mexico.
- Religion in Early Texas.
5 He shall be obliged not to admit in the new Colony Criminals, Vagabonds, or Men of bad
Conduct or Character, and Cause such as are within his limi[ts] to leave it and should it be
necessary he shall drive them out by force of arms.
- Frontier Justice.
- Law Enforcement.
- Texas Rangers.
6th For this purpose he shall organize the new Colonists in a body of National Militia of
which he shall be the Chief until otherwise ordered.
[2]
- Texas Military.
7th As soon as he shall have introduced 100 families at least he shall notify the Govt
.
thereof in order that a Commissioner may be sent on with the Competent instructions to put the
new colonists in possession of their Lands and to establish Towns in Conformity with the Law.
- Land possession.
- Surveying.
- Municipal Incorporation.
8th Official Communications with the Govt. or with the authorities of the State, instruments
of writing and other public acts, must be written in Spanish, and when new Towns are formed it
shall be his duty to establish Spanish Schools in them.
- Official Language.
- Establishment of Schools.
9 It shall also be his duty to promote the erection of churches in said Towns and that they
are provided with ornaments, holy vases and other things necessary for divine worship and in the
proper time to solicit the necessary number of Pasters for the Administration of Spiritual affairs.
- Establishment of Churches
-
[10] In all ot[her] [text loss] and other general Laws.
The foregoing conditions were accepted and signed by the Empresario Stephen F. Austin
on the 4th of June 1825 on the 20th May 1825 the Governor of the State by an Official order
increased the number of Families to Five Hundred.
