Why Was Texas Land Opened-Up To Anglo Americans And Other Colonists?
The Settlement of Texas During the 1820s and 1830 Texas has a long and rich history and the period during the 1820s and the 1830s is no exception. During these years Texas was settled by Anglo American and other colonists. Why was Texas land opened-up to Anglo Americans and other colonists? How did this change the face of Texas? Texas land was opened-up to Anglo Americans when the State Colonization Law of March 24, 1825 was passed in an effort to people the land that is now known as Texas. While the Mexican government sought to encourage its own people to migrate north into Texas, it also allowed the immigration of Anglo Americans into Texas. This 1825 legislation was also strategically passed to promote the farming and ranching and
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to stimulate commercial activity in Texas. The strategy, although allowing the immigration of Anglo Americans into Texas, gave priority to Mexicans in the land selection. The immigrating Anglo Americans received incentives for coming into the Texas wilderness in exchange for their pledge of loyalty to Mexico. The duty of allotting land was designated to immigration agents known as empresarios. We learned that during the years 1821 and 1835 a total of forty-one empresarios were signed permitting 13,500 families to come to Texas. One of the forty-one empresarios was Stephen F. Austin. Although some Anglo Americans were allowed to enter and settle designated areas of Texas, many were entering Texas illegally. Mexicans became fearful for their unprotected Texas borders. Anglo Americans had heard of the vast lands that laid in the great Texas expanse and many were settling in it.
As Anglos settled in Texas, the Mexican government grew concerned as many were coming in with American ideas, and as for those Anglo Americans who were allowed to enter the land legally, they were not taking their Mexican nationality seriously. Many Anglo Americans were taking unoccupied lands, engaging in crimes, and violating conditions under which they were allowed to settle. Thus, after an insurrection occurred in Nacogdoches, Mexico’s concern escalated about further American immigration possibly dissolving Mexico’s hold on Texas.
The concerns in Texas prompted Mexico to send a scout named Manuel de Mier y Teran to scope out how Mexico could best cope with Mexico’s troubles in Texas.
Upon arriving in Nacogdoches, he was quick to note that Nacogdoches had become an American town and that the chance of American immigrants assimilating to Mexican culture was slim to none. Mier y Teran’s report of the Texas situation prompted the Mexican government to pass the law of April 6, 1830 which intended to stop further immigration into Texas from the United States. The law declared uncompleted empresario agreements void with the exception of the colonies of Austin and DeWitt.
The settlement of Texas by Anglo Americans and other colonists changed the face of Texas with respect to the issue of slavery. In 1829 President Vicente Guerrero issued a directive abolishing slavery throughout the nation. He was concerned about Anglo colonization and believed that depriving the Anglos of their enslaved workforce would discourage Anglos from moving into Texas. A group of people with their own selfish agenda however, were able to get legislation passed that exempt Texas from the Guerrero decree abolishing slavery. This group of people was known as the Viesca
faction.
The Viesca faction was committed to achieving economic prosperity through the state colonization program of 1825 and other means. The Viesca faction was able to obtain exemptions from taxes on cotton, foreign imports, and domestic items for use by colonists and residents of Coahuila and Texas. They were also successful in granting citizenship and special allowances to many Anglo Americans, among them James Bowie, who acquired a textile-mill permit necessary for the economic furtherance of the state. These liberals saw that their prosperity was directly affected by slavery being legitimized because slaves were needed to carry out the arduous labor of cultivating cotton.
The liberals, however, had opposition. The opposition came from the Centralists who were committed to stopping Anglo American immigration and slavery and preferred Mexican and Europe colonization. The Centralists favored European immigration and so groups from Ireland settled into Texas and founded San Patricio.
With the law of April 6, 1830 being weakened, Anglo American immigration increased to unprecedented numbers. The face of Texas changed with the influx of the Anglo Americans, their slaves, and other colonists settling in the area. Many started farming the land, ranching, and trading increased. The Texas scene changed dramatically and so did the Anglo’s control over the immediate settled areas thus opening the way for the Anglo Americans to gain a stronghold on the land and eventually fight for its independence from Mexico.
The settlement of Texas by Anglo American and other colonists certainly changed the face of Texas in many ways. After this era, Texas would never be the same.
to stimulate commercial activity in Texas. The strategy, although allowing the immigration of Anglo Americans into Texas, gave priority to Mexicans in the land selection. The immigrating Anglo Americans received incentives for coming into the Texas wilderness in exchange for their pledge of loyalty to Mexico. The duty of allotting land was designated to immigration agents known as empresarios. We learned that during the years 1821 and 1835 a total of forty-one empresarios were signed permitting 13,500 families to come to Texas. One of the forty-one empresarios was Stephen F. Austin. Although some Anglo Americans were allowed to enter and settle designated areas of Texas, many were entering Texas illegally. Mexicans became fearful for their unprotected Texas borders. Anglo Americans had heard of the vast lands that laid in the great Texas expanse and many were settling in it.
As Anglos settled in Texas, the Mexican government grew concerned as many were coming in with American ideas, and as for those Anglo Americans who were allowed to enter the land legally, they were not taking their Mexican nationality seriously. Many Anglo Americans were taking unoccupied lands, engaging in crimes, and violating conditions under which they were allowed to settle. Thus, after an insurrection occurred in Nacogdoches, Mexico’s concern escalated about further American immigration possibly dissolving Mexico’s hold on Texas.
The concerns in Texas prompted Mexico to send a scout named Manuel de Mier y Teran to scope out how Mexico could best cope with Mexico’s troubles in Texas.
Upon arriving in Nacogdoches, he was quick to note that Nacogdoches had become an American town and that the chance of American immigrants assimilating to Mexican culture was slim to none. Mier y Teran’s report of the Texas situation prompted the Mexican government to pass the law of April 6, 1830 which intended to stop further immigration into Texas from the United States. The law declared uncompleted empresario agreements void with the exception of the colonies of Austin and DeWitt.
The settlement of Texas by Anglo Americans and other colonists changed the face of Texas with respect to the issue of slavery. In 1829 President Vicente Guerrero issued a directive abolishing slavery throughout the nation. He was concerned about Anglo colonization and believed that depriving the Anglos of their enslaved workforce would discourage Anglos from moving into Texas. A group of people with their own selfish agenda however, were able to get legislation passed that exempt Texas from the Guerrero decree abolishing slavery. This group of people was known as the Viesca
faction.
The Viesca faction was committed to achieving economic prosperity through the state colonization program of 1825 and other means. The Viesca faction was able to obtain exemptions from taxes on cotton, foreign imports, and domestic items for use by colonists and residents of Coahuila and Texas. They were also successful in granting citizenship and special allowances to many Anglo Americans, among them James Bowie, who acquired a textile-mill permit necessary for the economic furtherance of the state. These liberals saw that their prosperity was directly affected by slavery being legitimized because slaves were needed to carry out the arduous labor of cultivating cotton.
The liberals, however, had opposition. The opposition came from the Centralists who were committed to stopping Anglo American immigration and slavery and preferred Mexican and Europe colonization. The Centralists favored European immigration and so groups from Ireland settled into Texas and founded San Patricio.
With the law of April 6, 1830 being weakened, Anglo American immigration increased to unprecedented numbers. The face of Texas changed with the influx of the Anglo Americans, their slaves, and other colonists settling in the area. Many started farming the land, ranching, and trading increased. The Texas scene changed dramatically and so did the Anglo’s control over the immediate settled areas thus opening the way for the Anglo Americans to gain a stronghold on the land and eventually fight for its independence from Mexico.
The settlement of Texas by Anglo American and other colonists certainly changed the face of Texas in many ways. After this era, Texas would never be the same.