As a native Texan it may seem a bit blasphemy to call into question the moniker of Stephen F. Austin as “The Father of Texas”. Austin is created with the first 300 Anglo Settlers to Texas and considered one of the greatest heroes of the Texas Revolution. It is difficult to envision a historical textbook without folkloric passages about the deeds of Stephen F. Austin and how he shaped the history of Texas from a Spanish Colony to American Statehood. While Sam Houston proclaimed that “The Father of Texas is no more!” upon the news of Stephen F. Austin’s death; general sentiment of the republic did not champion this rally cry. The following paper will review some of the actions and ideas of Stephen F. Austin and how the monikers of unscrupulous
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If we review other similar historical figures with bequeathed titles, does Stephen F. Austin stand up to the litmus test? Take names like Charles IV, Peter the Great, or George Washington. These men seemingly earned the title as father of their respective nations. This may have been due to their military, political, or revolutionary actions that are deemed the driving force in the creation of their nation. Stephen Austin was raised in and around the lead mines of Virginia. His father Moses Austin sent him off to school at the age of ten and later to study at Transylvania University in Kentucky. He did not come to Texas until he was nearly 28 years old after the death of his father. From 1821 to 1835 Stephen F. Austin was a loyalist to the Mexican Government. This does not necessarily predict a path of being called the “Father of Texas” by Texan President Sam Houston. However when you dissect the path from Missouri business man to Anglo-Texan Revolutionary, you can see what some classify as an administrative loyalist and diplomat transformed into the catalyst for what was to become an independent republic and 28th state of these United …show more content…
Louis. Moses moved on to colonizing of Spanish Texas. In 1820, Moses traveled to San Antonio. Before Moses could finalize his colonization plan, he contracted pneumonia and died. On his deathbed, it is stated that he asked for Stephen to complete the enterprise he had commenced. Stephen F. Austin was reluctant from the beginning of the Texas venture, but showing his loyalty to his father and keen business mind, he met with Governor Antonio Maria Martinez. Stephen and the governor came to an understanding on the quantity of land per family, religious and behavioral expectations of immigrants, and that Stephen would be responsible for all administrative and legal issues of the colony. Stephen sold the idea of Anglo Texas Colony to eager American Settlers, but was met with news that the newly formed Mexican Rule was not going to honor his land grants. The diplomatic skills of Stephen again became apparent as he worked with the Mexican Emperor. Similar to his expertise in helping to form the Bank of St. Louis and also securing initial funding for the Texas Venture, Stephen met with Iturbide and helped to get passed an empresario system of land grants and settlements. The volatile Mexican Government went through another upheaval after the abdication of Iturbide, but Stephen Austin again worked with the new
If we review other similar historical figures with bequeathed titles, does Stephen F. Austin stand up to the litmus test? Take names like Charles IV, Peter the Great, or George Washington. These men seemingly earned the title as father of their respective nations. This may have been due to their military, political, or revolutionary actions that are deemed the driving force in the creation of their nation. Stephen Austin was raised in and around the lead mines of Virginia. His father Moses Austin sent him off to school at the age of ten and later to study at Transylvania University in Kentucky. He did not come to Texas until he was nearly 28 years old after the death of his father. From 1821 to 1835 Stephen F. Austin was a loyalist to the Mexican Government. This does not necessarily predict a path of being called the “Father of Texas” by Texan President Sam Houston. However when you dissect the path from Missouri business man to Anglo-Texan Revolutionary, you can see what some classify as an administrative loyalist and diplomat transformed into the catalyst for what was to become an independent republic and 28th state of these United …show more content…
Louis. Moses moved on to colonizing of Spanish Texas. In 1820, Moses traveled to San Antonio. Before Moses could finalize his colonization plan, he contracted pneumonia and died. On his deathbed, it is stated that he asked for Stephen to complete the enterprise he had commenced. Stephen F. Austin was reluctant from the beginning of the Texas venture, but showing his loyalty to his father and keen business mind, he met with Governor Antonio Maria Martinez. Stephen and the governor came to an understanding on the quantity of land per family, religious and behavioral expectations of immigrants, and that Stephen would be responsible for all administrative and legal issues of the colony. Stephen sold the idea of Anglo Texas Colony to eager American Settlers, but was met with news that the newly formed Mexican Rule was not going to honor his land grants. The diplomatic skills of Stephen again became apparent as he worked with the Mexican Emperor. Similar to his expertise in helping to form the Bank of St. Louis and also securing initial funding for the Texas Venture, Stephen met with Iturbide and helped to get passed an empresario system of land grants and settlements. The volatile Mexican Government went through another upheaval after the abdication of Iturbide, but Stephen Austin again worked with the new