The Old Three Hundred: Spanish Settlement In Texas
780 Words4 Pages
In January of 1821, Moses Austin received a grant to create one of the first chiefly Spanish settlements in Texas, which Stephen F. Austin, his son, ended up completing. This small group of carefully-chosen people is known as the Old Three Hundred, and each of them was picked due to their previous means to help assure the colonies’ success, which would convince more colonists to make the journey. By 1824, most of the group was in the colony, and all of the land grants which would be issued in the colony had been given out by 1827. In summary, The Old Three Hundred were a group of people organized by Stephen F. Austin to be some of the first to ever settle in Texas, and were chosen due to their significant previous means and their ability to…show more content… Due to the premium farmland, the many farmers in the colony were able to start successful crops, and some families even opened utilities such as a hotel or a boarding house. Many of the colonists had personal successes as well. The colony had been created in a few small groups which were arranged around San Felipe de Austin, which became the hub of the settlement and the location of Stephen F. Austin’s land grant. Their farms were an important part of the beginning of the slave empire that would soon come into place. Due to the large influence of America and Europe on Texas, which was then still part of Mexico, the Mexican government began to monitor Texas and some officials were soon worried outside forces had too much influence. They then put harsh regulations into place to hinder or stop immigration to and from Texas by America and it is safe to assume these laws affected the settlement of The Old Three Hundred as it did many others. By a combination of how it was created, the significant means of those who populated it, and what became of it, The Old Three Hundred are an important beginning to a significant part of Texas’…show more content… Austin began work with the Mexican government to begin his settlement, and mainly aimed to find people with significant previous wealth to help guarantee a successful colony. He quickly used most of his land grants by 1824 and finished giving out land grants by 1827. The Old Three Hundred were the members of one of the first colonies in Texas, led by Stephen F. Austin, and were picked out by Austin in cooperation with the Mexican government to people with significant previous means, creating a sustainable and productive