Stephen F. Austin (November 3, 1793–December 27, 1836) was a lawyer, settler, and administrator who played a key role in the secession of Texas from Mexico. He brought hundreds of U.S. families into Texas on behalf of the Mexican government, which wished to populate the isolated northern state.
Full Answer
What was Stephen F Austin's greatest accomplishment?
Stephen F. Austin his greatest accomplishment was that he found the first colony rivers American Indians and most settlers chose to live near these Farming people came to Mexican Texan in the 1820s to use the cheap land for this
What was Stephen F Austin's religion?
Moses and Stephen F. Austin, neither of whom seems to have taken organized religion too seriously, readily complied. Although baptized at birth by a Congregational minister in Durham, Connecticut, the elder Austin assured Spanish authorities in December 1820 in San Antonio that he was "a Catholic."
What are some personal traits of Stephen F Austin?
traits of stephen fuller austin... One is of his traits is bravery because he went up to Santa Anna with things the Texans requested. He has courage because he went to San Antonio De Bexar to meet Santa Anna. He was also respectful because even though he didn’t want to be an empressario; he went to Texas, to connive his father wishes. Finally, he is honest because as soon as Mexico gained control of Texas he went to Mexico to get his land grant approved again.
Why did Stephen F Austin settle Texas?
Why did Stephen F Austin settle in Texas? The economic panic of 1819 led his father, Moses Austin (1767–1821), to leave his lead-mining business in Missouri and embark upon a scheme of colonization in Texas. Moses obtained a grant of land from the Mexican government but died soon thereafter, and in 1821 Stephen went to Texas to carry out his father’s project.
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What is Stephen F Austin known for?
Often called "The Father of Texas," Stephen F. Austin carved out his place in history by bringing thousands of settlers to Mexican Texas from the United States. By the time he died in December 1836, Austin had settled over 1,500 families and built the foundation of what had just become the Republic of Texas.
What did Stephen F Austin create?
1793 - 1836. Stephen Fuller Austin, born in southwestern Virginia, is often called the Father of Texas. He can also be called the Father of the Texas Rangers as he founded the earliest precursor of the famous law enforcement organization.
What did Stephen F Austin do about slavery?
After the economy began to surge in Texas, Mexican officials worked to abolish slavery. Austin objected and won an exemption for the colony. When Mexico tried again, Austin secured a loophole for farmers in Texas, allowing them to free their slaves and then sign them to 99 years of indentured servitude.
Why is Stephen F Austin important for kids?
Stephen Austin was responsible for settling thousands of American colonists into Texas. At the time, the area was part of Mexico. Austin also played a large role in activities that led up to the Texas war for independence from Mexico. He is often called the father of Texas.
Why was Stephen F. Austin's colony so successful?
Why was Stephen Austin's colony so successful? -By 1825, Austin had issued 297 land grants. -Each family received 177 very inexpensive acres of farmland or 4,428 acres for stock grazing, as well as a 10-year exemption from paying taxes.
What are 5 facts about Stephen F. Austin?
Texana Thursday: 5 Things You Might Not Know about Stephen F. AustinWhile lots of pictures of Austin exist, he himself sat for only one portrait. ... Austin had an interesting career before he began his Texas activities. ... Sam Houston called Austin the “Father of Texas.” ... Austin was originally buried in Southeast Texas.More items...•
Why did Stephen F. Austin want to allow slavery in Texas?
However, Cantrell said Austin saw slavery as a needed resource for the Texas economy. “Austin understood early on that all of his hopes and dreams and plans for Texas depended upon the cotton economy,” Cantrell said. “He understood very clearly that the cotton economy depended upon slave labor.
Did Stephen F. Austin fight in the Civil War?
Austin, the Father of Texas. On his return to Texas he joined the revolution; became commander-in-chief of the Texas army; and was appointed commissioner to the United States.
Who founded Texas?
Stephen F. Austin was the founder of Anglo-American Texas. Austin's hard work, dedication, and diplomacy enabled the Texas colonies to grow from lonely frontier outposts to an independent republic in just fifteen years.
What was Stephen F. Austin slogan?
Axe 'em, Jacks.
What made Stephen F. Austin a good leader?
Austin attracted numerous Anglo-American settlers to move to Texas, and by 1825 Austin had brought the first 300 American families into the territory. Throughout the 1820s, Austin sought to maintain good relations with the Mexican government, and he helped suppress the Fredonian Rebellion.
What battles did Stephen F. Austin fight in?
Austin led the army to present day San Antonio and moved the Texian and Tejano volunteers to the Alamo. He was then relocated to New Orleans where he served as Texas commissioner. After this bitter defeat, Austin's troops surprised the Mexicans and defeated them in 18 minutes at the Battle of San Jacinto.
What impact did Stephen F. Austin have on the early history and foundation of Texas?
Stephen F. Austin began colonizing Anglo-Americans in Texas in difficult conditions. Due to his work, about 5,000 people obtained around 1,540 land grant titles. Austin's original colony was the first, most famous, and most successful of the empresario grants from Mexico.
What did Stephen F. Austin do in the battle of the Alamo?
Austin led the army to present day San Antonio and moved the Texian and Tejano volunteers to the Alamo. He was then relocated to New Orleans where he served as Texas commissioner. After this bitter defeat, Austin's troops surprised the Mexicans and defeated them in 18 minutes at the Battle of San Jacinto.
What was Stephen F. Austin's colony called?
The main area of Austin's Colony was located in southeast Texas within an area bounded by the Lavaca and San Jacinto rivers, the San Antonio Road, and the coast. A small settlement, called the "little colony," was also established along the Colorado River above the San Antonio Road, near the present-day city of Austin.
What was Stephen F. Austin slogan?
Axe 'em, Jacks.
Who is Stephen Austin?
Austin State University. "Stephen Austin" redirects here. For other people, see Stephen Austin (disambiguation). Step hen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the " Father of Texas " and the founder of Anglo Texas, he led the second and, ...
What did Stephen Austin do for Texas?
After Moses Austin's death in 1821, Stephen Austin won recognition of the empresario grant from the newly independent state of Mexico. Austin convinced numerous American settlers to move to Texas, and by 1825 Austin had brought the first 300 American families into the territory. Throughout the 1820s, Austin sought to maintain good relations with the Mexican government, and he helped suppress the Fredonian Rebellion. He also helped ensure the introduction of slavery into Texas de spite the attempts of the Mexican government to ban the institution. He led the initial actions against the Karankawa people in this area.
What did Austin claim to the Karankawa?
Austin laid claim to rich tracts of land near bays and river mouths populated by the Karankawa. The Karankawa relied on these bays for the fish and shellfish that provided their winter protein sources and thus were fiercely protective of that land. Austin wrote upon scouting the land that extermination of the Karankawa would be necessary, despite the fact that his first encounter with the tribe was friendly. He spread rumors among the settlers of cannibalism and extreme violence of the Karankawa, sometimes more specifically the Carancaguases. Research has suggested that these accusations of cannibalism were false, possibly caused by confusion with another tribe, and that the Karankawa were horrified by cannibalism when they learned of it being practiced by shipwrecked Spaniards. Austin's stories primed the colonists to believe that the Karankawa would be impossible to live among and may have contributed to the Skull Creek massacre in which an Karankawa village was razed and 19 Kawankawa Indians were killed. After the massacre, Austin continued to encourage violence both against and between the Indian tribes, culminating in 1825 with his order for all Kawankawa to be pursued and killed on sight.
How many families did Austin settle?
By late 1825, Austin had brought the first 300 families to his settlement, the Austin Colony; these 300 are now known in Texas history as the Old Three Hundred. Austin had obtained further contracts to settle an additional 900 families between 1825 and 1829. He had effective civil and military authority over the settlers, but he was quick to introduce a semblance of American law - the Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas was agreed on in November 1827. Austin organized small, informal armed groups to protect the colonists, which evolved into the Texas Rangers. Despite his hopes, Austin was making little money from his endeavors; the colonists were unwilling to pay for his services as empresario, and most of his revenues were spent on the processes of government and other public services.
What was Austin's plan for Mexico?
Austin's plan for an American colony was thrown into turmoil by Mexico's gaining independence from Spain in 1821. Governor Martínez informed Austin that the junta instituyente, the new rump congress of the government of Agustín de Iturbide of Mexico, refused to recognize the land grant authorized by Spain. His government intended to use a general immigration law to regulate new settlement in Mexico. Austin traveled to Mexico City, where he persuaded the junta instituyente to approve the grant to his father, as well as the law signed by the Mexican Emperor on January 3, 1823.
How tall is the Austin statue?
Austin 500, sculpted by David Adickes, with a base of 12-feet and a total statue height of 72-feet. The base is 2 feet taller than the base of the Sam Houston statue in Huntsville, Texas, but the statue is 7 feet shorter.
How did Austin die?
Doctors were called in but could not help him. Austin died of pneumonia at noon on December 27, 1836. He was at the home of George B. McKinstry, near what is now West Columbia, Texas. He was 43. Austin's last words were "The independence of Texas is recognized! Don't you see it in the papers?..." Upon hearing of Austin's death, Houston ordered an official statement proclaiming: "The Father of Texas is no more; the first pioneer of the wilderness has departed." Originally, Austin was buried at Gulf Prairie Cemetery in Brazoria County, Texas. In 1910 Austin's body was reinterred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Austin never married, nor did he have any children. He bequeathed all his land, titles, and possessions, to his married sister, Emily Austin Perry .
Where did Stephen Austin go to school?
Stephen Austin was sent back east to be educated in Connecticut and at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.
What was the mission of Austin?
Austin's mission seemed to be successful . He persuaded the government to repeal the immigration ban and to agree to consider reforms in the administration of Texas. He started home in December 1833, only to be arrested on the journey and brought back to Mexico City.
How many families did Austin settle?
Under the empresario system, Austin successfully settled the first 300 families in his colony. Over the next several years, he obtained three additional contracts and settled 900 more families in the colony, plus an additional 800 in partnership with Samuel Williams. Click on image for larger image and transcript.
What was the problem that Austin faced when he was a colonist?
Right from the start, Austin grappled with the central problem of relations between his colony and Mexico. Mexico was in the final stages of a decades-long war for independence from Spain. Shortly after the colony was established, Austin learned that Mexican authorities were refusing to recognize the Spanish land grant given to his father. Austin traveled to Mexico City and succeeded in getting approval for a law that promoted the development of colonies. Known as the empresario system, the new law allowed immigration agents such as Austin to bring in families and provided land incentives for their success.
How long was Austin absent from the colony?
Austin had been absent for 28 months. He found a Texas in near-rebellion. Leading Texans were planning to call another Convention, called the Consultation, to meet in October. With his experiences, Austin had changed. He no longer believed there was a possible future for Anglo Texas as part of Mexico. As leader of the most successful of the colonies, Austin became in effect the civil head of Anglo American Texas.
What age did Austin work at the mine?
At age 17, Austin returned to Missouri and began work at his father's side, operating a general store for the mine. By age 23 he was managing the lead mine while his father moved on to other speculative ventures. Even as a young man Austin was recognized for his maturity and leadership abilities.
Why did Austin take the initiative to establish a system of record-keeping?
Austin took the initiative in establishing a system of record-keeping to straighten out the problem of conflicting land grants.
What did Austin do to help the Mexicans?
The following year Austin helped lead the Texan rebels to victory over the Mexicans and assisted in the creation of the independent Republic of Texas.
When was Austin released?
When he was finally released eight months later in August 1835, Austin found that the Anglo-American colonists were on the brink of rebellion. They were now demanding a Republic of Texas that would break entirely from the Mexican nation.
Who was the Texas colonizer who was imprisoned by the Mexican government?
Stephen Austin imprisoned by Mexicans. Escalating the tensions that would lead to rebellion and war, the Mexican government imprisons the Texas colonizer Stephen Austin in Mexico City. Stephen Fuller Austin was a reluctant revolutionary. His father, Moses Austin, won permission from the Mexican government in 1821 to settle 300 Anglo-American ...
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Majors & Fields of Study at Stephen F Austin State University
Stephen F Austin State University offers 72 distinct undergraduate degrees, concentrated into 62 majors within 26 broad fields of study. Across all areas of study, Stephen F Austin State University awarded 2,231 undergraduate degrees in 2018 - 2019 .
Domestic Ethnicity of Graduates
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Average SAT: 1086
The average SAT score composite at Stephen F. Austin State University is a 1086 on the 1600 SAT scale.
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Overview
Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas, he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families and their slaves from the United States to the Tejas region in 1825.
Early years
Stephen F. Austin was born on November 3, 1793, in the mining region of southwestern Virginia. His parents were Mary Brown Austin and Moses Austin. In 1798, his family moved west to the lead-mining region of present-day Potosi, Missouri. Moses Austin received a sitio from the Spanish government for the mining site of Mine à Breton, which had been established by French colonists.
His great-great-grandfather, Anthony Austin (b. 1636), was the son of Richard Austin (b.1598 in Bi…
Move to Texas
During Austin's time in Arkansas, his father traveled to Spanish Texas and received an empresarial grant that would allow him to bring 300 American families to Texas. Moses Austin caught pneumonia soon after returning to Missouri. He directed that his empresario grant would be taken over by his son Stephen. Although Austin was reluctant to carry on his father's Texas venture, …
Empresario
Austin's plan for an American colony was thrown into turmoil by Mexico's gaining independence from Spain in 1821. Governor Martínez informed Austin that the junta instituyente, the new rump congress of the government of Agustín de Iturbide of Mexico, refused to recognize the land grant authorized by Spain. His government intended to use a general immigration law to regulate new settl…
Slavery
Slavery was a very important issue to Austin, one he called "of great interest" to him. Austin was a periodical slaveowner throughout his life; however, he had conflicting views about it. Theoretically, he believed slavery was wrong and went against the American ideal of liberty. In practice, however, he agreed with the social, economic, and political justifications of it, and worked hard to defend and expand it. Despite his defense of it, he also harbored concerns that the long-term eff…
Relations with Mexico
Immigration controls and the introduction of tariff laws had done much to dissatisfy the colonists, peaking in the Anahuac Disturbances. Austin became involved in Mexican politics, supporting the upstart Antonio López de Santa Anna. Following the success of Santa Anna, the colonists sought a compensatory reward, proclaimed at the Convention of 1832—resumption of i…
Texas Revolution
In his absence, several events propelled the colonists toward confrontation with Santa Anna's centralist government. Austin took temporary command of the Texian forces during the Siege of Béxar from October 12 to December 11, 1835. After learning of the Disturbances at Anahuac and Velasco in the summer of 1835, an enraged Santa Anna made rapid preparations for the Mexican army to sweep Anglo settlers from Texas. War began in October 1835 at Gonzales. The Republic …
Republic of Texas
In December 1835, Austin, Branch Archer, and William H. Wharton were appointed commissioners to the U.S. by the provisional government of the republic. On June 10, 1836, Austin was in New Orleans, where he received word of Santa Anna's defeat by Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. Austin returned to Texas to rest at Peach Point in August. On August 4, he announced his candidacy for president of Texas. Austin felt confident he could win the election until two week…