Stephen F. Austin

Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 ? December 27, 1836), known as the "Father of Texas," led the Anglo-American colonization of the region. The city of Austin, Texas and Austin County, Texas are named in his honor.

Moving to Texas

During this time, his father Moses traveled to San Antonio and gained a grant of land in the Spanish territory of Texas, with the intention of settling U.S. families in Mexico. Austin was reluctant to join the Texas venture, but he obtained a loan from Hawkins to help support his father's venture. He was at Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1821 when he learned of his father's death. He traveled to San Antonio with the intent of reauthorizing his father's grant, arriving in August. The grant was reauthorized by Governor Antonio María Martínez, who allowed Austin to explore the Gulf Coast between San Antonio and the Brazos River in order to find a suitable location for a colony. Stephen Austin advertised the opportunity in New Orleans, stating that the land was available along the Brazos and Colorado rivers. In December 1821, the first U.S. colonists crossed into the granted territory by land and sea, on the Brazos River in present day Fort Bend County, Texas.

Related Topics:
San Antonio - Spanish - U.S. - Mexico - Natchitoches, Louisiana - 1821 - Antonio María Martínez - Gulf Coast - Brazos River - Colorado - Fort Bend County, Texas

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