Students study the factors affecting colonization of Texas during the Mexican era. They learn about the various Mexican colonization laws. Then they learn about the motivations for Anglo-American settlers to come to Texas. Finally, they learn about the role of empresarios in the colonization of Texas.
Students read an overview of how Texas’s population grew after Spanish rule and review the lesson objectives. They examine an image of Stephen F. Austin and are introduced to the term empresario by first looking up and defining the related term “entrepreneur.” They then respond to a word cloud prompt by posting a word or short phrase describing something an entrepreneur might do.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and explain how it connects to related lessons on Austin’s colony and life in the Texas settlements. Clarify the meaning of “entrepreneur,” highlighting initiative, management, and risk-taking, and preview that students will later connect this concept to nineteenth-century empresarios. Monitor and, if desired, briefly discuss student responses in the word cloud before moving on.
Students read background text about the Mexican War of Independence, the Constitution of 1824, and Mexico’s invitation to Americans to colonize Texas. They then read about the Imperial Colonization Law of 1823, the National Colonization Law of 1824, and the State Colonization Law of 1825, using a graphic organizer to record key features of each law. Next, they read about the Law of April 6, 1830 and answer a multiple-choice question identifying how the law changed approaches to Texas settlement.
Teacher MovesGuide students through the colonization laws, emphasizing key points such as religious requirements, land grants, the introduction of empresarios, state authority over settlement, and national security concerns. Support students in completing the graphic organizer by discussing each law’s main provisions. After students respond to the question about the Law of April 6, 1830, clarify that Mexico sought to halt the flow of Anglo immigrants, explain how this law contributed to growing discontent that led to the Texas Revolution, and note the exemptions and eventual repeal affecting Austin and other contracts.
Students read the first part of Anglo-American Colonization to learn about Texas settlement from the perspective of incoming immigrants. Using a graphic organizer, they identify and explain three different reasons Anglo settlers came to Texas. They then continue reading the article to learn about challenges faced by settlers and answer a poll question about issues such as religious requirements, access to courts, slavery restrictions, and Native American attacks. Finally, they post to a class wall, choosing one issue and explaining how it affected Anglo-American settlers.
Teacher MovesSupport students in extracting reasons for Anglo migration—such as inexpensive land, expectations about U.S. expansion, and escape from debt—and ensure these are clearly explained in the organizer. After the poll, lead a discussion of each identified issue, sharing strong student examples and elaborating on how settlers navigated Catholicism requirements, limited court access, slavery policies, and Native American conflicts. Use this discussion to deepen understanding of daily life and governance in the colonies.
Students examine Stephen F. Austin’s 1840 map of Texas showing land grant colonies and then finish reading the remainder of Anglo-American Colonization, focusing on the conflict between empresarios Martín De León and Green DeWitt. They complete a table describing the nature of this conflict and how it was resolved. Next, they contribute to a collaborative wall explaining how a nineteenth-century empresario functioned as an entrepreneur, drawing on their earlier definition and what they have learned about land grants and colonization.
Teacher MovesUse the map to highlight the distribution of land grant colonies and the roles of different empresarios. Clarify for students that De León and DeWitt were granted overlapping land in the Guadalupe valley, that Mexican authorities favored the Mexican empresario, and that the lack of clear boundaries led to intermingled Hispanic and Anglo settlements. In the wall discussion, prompt students to connect the concept of entrepreneur to empresarios’ responsibilities—organizing colonies, recruiting settlers, managing contracts and resources, and taking financial and personal risks for potential gain.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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