Information AboutEmpresario |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT EMPRESARIO | |
| history of mexico | |
| history of texas | |
|
As part of both an effort to halt American expansion into Mexican territory and to colonize the scarcely populated northern region, the Mexican government began a colonization campaign in the early 19th century. Prior to the 1823 revolution in Mexico , the old Imperial Law called for the appointment of empressarios, or land agents, who received a land grant from the Spanish or Mexican government in return for promoting settlement in the land grant territory. Settlers on land grants agreed to become a Spanish citizen (later Mexican citizen), swear an oath of loyalty to Spain and become a Roman Catholic. Among the most successful empressarios were Stephen F. Austin (son of Moses Austin ) who sold land to American settlers for about 12 cents an acre one fifteenth the price of comparable land in the USA, considered by many the "Father of Texas"; Green DeWitt ; and Haden Harrison Edwards . After the Republic Of Texas won its Independence From Mexico , the young nation continued its own version of the empresario program, offering grants to French diplomat Henri Castro and abolitionist Charles Fenton Mercer , among others. |
|
|