the first colonists
Storyboard Text
- In 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain. Mexico worked to make Texas safe and wanted to bring more people to live there so they used "empresarios" to recruit people and develop the land.
- After Moses Austin died, Stephen F. Austin finished his father's job by bringing the first settlers to "Austin Colony" in Texas. These first colonists are called "The Old 300." One incentive the people got who came to Texas was the gift of land. Stephen F. Austin divided the land up, governed as a judge and headed up the Texas militia during this time. His reward was 197,000 acres of land! Austin TX is named after him.
- This is Jane Long, also known as the "Mother of Texas." She waited on her husband to return throughout a bitter winter and everyone else abandoned the area, but not Jane. She fished and shot birds to eat. She shot off a cannon to scare away Native Americans. She was a courageous woman.
- The Anglo settlers to Mexican Texas were called Texians. They build their shelters out of stones, mud and wood. Soon, a man named Gail Borden created an English newspaper for the new settlers (since they didn't speak Spanish.) This man later invented condensed milk and started the company Borden Milk.
- Many of the new Anglo Settlers who came to Texas were planters from other states. They were used to growing "cash crops" -- those are crops you grow just to sell food to other people.
- After Stephen F. Austin recruited the first 300 settlers to Texas, word caught on fast! Soon, people across the US began to leave for the area. They packed up their belongings and livestock and headed to Mexican Texas ... except they would risk being attacked by the Karankawa tribe. These new folks who left their towns were called "GTTs" -- gone to Texas!
- G.T.T.
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