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Colonization
In April 1823 Stephen Fuller Austin
received a special contract with the
newly formed government of Mexico,
as independent from Spain, confirming
his license to settle 300 families in
central Texas. He immediately returned
to Texas and began to issue titles to
his colonists as quickly as the claims
could be surveyed.
The Americanization of Texas was of
great concern to Mexico. As a result
the Mexican government incorporated
into the law of April 6, 1830, which
established Mexican garrisons across
Texas and prohibited further
immigration of Americans. The
colonists resented these provisions,
and reaction to the law represented
the beginnings of sentiment that
eventually resulted in war.
The central map of 1837 shown here
was eventually printed in 1830 with
fewer grants denoted. In the letter that
accompanied the Spanish draft of the
map sent to Mexico, Austin stated his
purpose in compiling the map, "has
been to add to the fund of geographic
knowledge of Mexico territory and to
make known our beloved Texas".
Revolution & Republic
When Santa Anna was elected
president of the republic in 1832, the
Texans hoped for better relations with
the government. Santa Anna proved to
be a cynical opportunists and soon
dissolved the congress and abrogated
the constitution. In successive
conventions in 1832, 1833, 1835 and
1836 Texans produced resolutions
and petitions beginning with a cautious
request for repeal of the law of April 6,
1830, then progressing through
petitions for separate statehood and
outright declaration of independence.
The brief military campaign of 1836
ended in the decisive defeat of Santa
Anna at San Jacinto.
In 1837 president Sam Houston
established a string of forts along the
edge of the frontier which at that time
paralleled the coast and ran from just
west of San Antonio to the Sabine
River north of Nacogdoches.
The punitive expeditions that sallied
forth from this primitive line of defense
contributed greatly to a developing
conception of Texas geography.
Many of the maps produced during this
period was clearly published for
promotional purposes in order to draw
settlers into the region.
TEXT FROM
"LEGACY & LEGENDS"