Stephen F. Austin: The Father Of Texas

Stephen F. Austin was born on November 3, 1793. He has a brother named James E.B Austin and a sister named Emily Austin Perry. Stephen had no children. He graduated from Transylvania University- Bacon Academy. Stephen was an American entrepreneur. Known as the “Father of Texas”, and the founder of Texas, he led the second, and ultimately, the successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States to the region in From 1813- 1819, Austin served on the legislature of the Missouri Territory. In 1820, after mining business failed, he sought new opportunity in Arkansas Territory. Later that year, he moves to Louisiana to study law. In 1821, Austin’s father died near San Antonio, Texas. Austin traveled to San Antonio …show more content…
Despite the colony’s explosive growth, Austin was not making much money and the Mexican authorities that gave him the land had become less cooperative as America continued in its efforts to buy Texas from them. In 1834, Austin was arrested by Mexican authorities for insurrection. In the meantime, the Texans demanded tariff reform, removal of immigration restrictions, and a new state government. The Mexican government refused, and Texas proclaimed it’s independence. The war that followed resulted in Texas becoming an independent republic in 1836. Austin served as secretary of state and is known as “The Father of Texas”, 1825. Though not enthusiastic about the Texas venture, Austin decided to cooperate with his father. He arranged to obtain a loan from his friend Hawkins to float the enterprise and was at Natchitoches expecting to accompany his father to San Antonio when he learned of Moses Austin’s death. Among other details, he arranged with Martinez to offer land to settlers in quantities of 640 acres to the head of a family, 320 acres for his wife, 320 acres for each child, and 80 acres for each slave. For such quantity, as a colonist desired, Austin might collect 12 cents an acre in compensation for his …show more content…
It continued the entrepreneur system contemplated by that law and offered to each married man a league of land (4,428 acres), for which he was obligated to pay the state thirty dollars within six years. In the meantime, Austin had substantially fulfilled his contract to settle the first 300 families. Under this state law, he obtained three contracts (in 1825, 1827, and 1828) to settle a total of 900 additional families in the area of his first colony, besides a contract in partnership with his secretary, Samuel M. Williams, for the settlement of 800 families in western Texas. Unfortunately, this partnership contract led to a disagreeable controversy with Sterling C. Robertson. Austin had complete civil and military authority over his colonists until 1828, subject to rather nominal supervision by the officials at San Antonio and Monterrey. He wisely allowed them to elect militia officers and local magistrate, corresponding to justices of the peace in the United States; and, to assure uniformity of court procedure, he drew up forms and a simple civil and criminal

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