Who helped 300 families settle in Texas today?
January 17, 1821 — Today, Mexico permitted 300 US families to settle in Texas. Moses Austin (October 4, 1761 – June 10, 1821) and his son Stephen led the way.
After receiving a land grant from the Spanish government in 1820, Moses planned to be the first to establish an English American settlement in Spanish Texas — but he died from pneumonia shortly before his dream was realized.
His son, Stephen F. Austin, took the lead and helped the settlers gain the autonomy they needed to win independence from the Mexican ruler Antonio López de Santa Anna.
On March 2, 1836, the group helped to establish the Republic of Texas, which lasted until Texas’s annexation by the US on December 29, 1845.
Sources
Words of Wisdom
We have reason to flatter ourselves that not only the Interest of this State but the United States in General . . . is interested in the Success of our undertaking.
