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Chapter 13. Pioneer Life. Immigration 1836-1845. Population tripled Immigrants came from U.S. and Europe · Immigrant Agents— same as empresarios
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Chapter 13 Pioneer Life
Immigration 1836-1845 • Population tripled • Immigrants came from U.S. and Europe · Immigrant Agents— same as empresarios • 2,000 families from Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee settle through W.S. Peters and Associates. (Sounds like a modern Real Estate Agency, doesn’t it?)
Europeans • Henri Castro, French Immigrant Agent: over 2000 families from France, Switzerland and Germany • Established town of Castroville • German Emigration Company settled about 7,000 Germans. • Many Germans settled in the hill country around Austin: New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Gruene, Schulenberg
Slave Population grew • By 1845, African Americans made up 1/3 of the population of Texas and most were slaves. • Free African Americans required to petition Congress to stay in Texas during Republic • Not all slaves worked on plantations or farms and some were skilled laborers such as blacksmiths and carpenters.
Tejanos faced prejudice • Tejanos were viewed with suspicion by settlers and even those who fought for Texas were treated poorly. • The new settlers assumed they had sided with Mexico. • This is called stereotyping.
Farming and Ranching • Most Texans had agricultural jobs. • Corn was most important “subsistence crop”: for human and animal consumption • Cotton was most important “cash crop”: forprofit, and was grown in East Texas during this time period. • Ranching was easy to start because wild cattle roamed all over South and East Texas left over from Spanish days.
Tradesmen such as carpenters and blacksmiths came. Businesses, doctors, lawyers came. Towns grew, new towns started!
Transportation improved • Stagecoaches: Butterfield Overland Line crossed Texas all the way to El Paso for passengers and mail. • Roads were dirt. Goods were transported over roads by mule and oxen driven freight wagons often using Tejano drivers. (The term “teamsters” as in Teamsters Union comes from this.) • Railroads started coming to Texas, connected towns around Houston • Steamboats were difficult to operate in Texas due to crooked rivers, few rivers large and deep enough.
Communications Improved • Telegraph came to Texas in 1854 (Marshall, Texas) and connected East Texas towns first. This helped business and law enforcement. • Houston produced the first influential newspapers, but by 1860, there were 70 newspapers in Texas, most produced weekly.
Education: • No public schools • Towns and families hired teachers. • 1854, legislature to set aside $2,000,000.00 as a permanent school fund and the interest was divided between counties according to the number of school-age children they had living there.
New State Government • New Constitution: constitutional convention of 1845 • Governor: 2 year terms • Legislature: • House of Representatives—2 year terms • Senate---4 year terms • Supreme Court and District Courts
First Governor Pinkney Henderson from San Augustine, Texas His wife, Frances Cox Henderson was one of the first women lawyers in Texas Henderson, Texas named in his honor
First U.S. Senators from Texas • Sam Houston • Thomas Rusk • Rusk, Texas named for him
First U.S. Representatives from Texas David Kaufman: lawyer,Indian fighter, politician, Jewish Texan Kaufman and Kaufman County • Timothy Pillsbury ?
Democratic Party: Most Texans joined this party They were the strongest party in the South Represented interests of farmers and laborers Political Parties • Whig Party • Represented interests of business • Party opposed Texas annexation and expansion of slavery into new states and territories
Know Nothing Party • Also called the “American Party” • Tried to keep immigrants from holding office or voting • Only lasted a few years in Texas • “I know nothing” • Started the practice of electing candidates at conventions
U.S. forts in Texas • Many U.S. forts were built in West Texas to prevent clashes between Indians and settlers • Indian reservations set up for Wacos, Comanches and Tonkawas in Texas • The reservations in Texas were not successful and Indians were moved to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.
Camels in Texas In May of 1856, at Powderhorn, Texas, the US Army's most successful experiment in overland transportation before the development of four-wheel-drive vehicles powered by internal combustion engines began. By the end of May, 1866, the experiment was dead.
Why camels didn’t last • This was the idea of U.S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis • When the South seceded, Jefferson Davis became President of the Confederate States • Once the war was over, the U.S. stopped the experiment because anything involving the South or Jefferson Davis was not popular!
Causes: 1. Disputes over the U.S. annexation of Texas 2. Boundary disputes between U.S. and Mexico 3. Mexico’s refusal to negotiate with the U.S. Effects Santa Anna Flees to Jamaica Mexico ceddes almost 50 percent of its land to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexican-American War
How it started: Mexico claimed the boundary between Mexico and Texas was the Nueces River. Texas claimed the Rio Grande, as Santa Anna had agreed in the Treaty of Velasco. A battle between Mexico and Texans occurred north of the Rio Grande at Palo Alto in Texas. President Polk treated this as an invasion, causing American casualties and declared war.
Gen. Zachary Taylor’s U.S. forces were successful in occupying Northern Mexico • They captured the Mexican city of Monterrey. • A large Mexican force under Santa Anna’s command was defeated at the battle of Buena Vista.
American troops landed in Veracruz and marched to Mexico City. • Mexico City was captured, and American forces occupied California. • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo settled the conflict.
Terms of Treaty • Rio Grande became boundary • Mexico abandoned all claims to Texas • The U.S. paid Mexico $15 million for the lands between Texas and the Pacific Ocean owned by Mexico. • U.S. covered claims of U.S. citizens against Mexico due to Texas Revolution • Mexicans living in the territories gained by the U.S. were guaranteed U.S. citizenship, right to keep land.
Compromise of 1850 • The disputed territory was now a part of the U.S., but Texas did not keep all of it. • Under this compromise, Texas surrendered the part that became New Mexico in return for $10 million. • This allowed Texas to pay off her debts!
Texas grows rapidly • The population grew • 1847: 106,000 • 1850: 212,000 • 1860: 604,000 • Under Homestead Act, settlers living on the land and improving it owned the land • Southerners used the term “GTT”: Gone to Texas!
New Counties and local governments • Texas grew from 36 to 122 counties by 1860. • Towns competed to become the county seat.
Mexicans and Europeans • Mexicans crossed the border and settled along the Rio Grande and in the San Antonio-Goliad area. • South Texas towns grew rapidly. • Most Mexican Americans were farmers and ranchers. • Prejudice continued • Tejanos retained their cultural heritage.
Germans • By 1860 over 20,000 Germans lived in Texas • Migrated to escape economic hardships and famine
Many cultures of Texans • Polish, Irish, British, French, Czech, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Scottish, etc. also migrated in large numbers • Also, Chinese, Lebanese and Syrians, Jews and Japanese came during the 1800s.
Indian Reservations • Alabama Coushatta Reservation near Woodville in deep East Texas– only 1,280 acres.
