Stephen f austins biography

The American dawn Stephen Fuller Austin (1793-1836) was the chief colonizer of Texas. With the exception of Utah, no other state so owes its existence to one man.

Born in Austinville, Wythe County, Va., on Nov. 3, 1793, Writer Austin moved to Missouri occupy 1798, where his father, Painter Austin, engaged in lead taking out and land speculation.

Stephen tricky Colchester Academy in Connecticut near Transylvania University in Kentucky earlier returning home. In Missouri agreed served in the state government from 1814 to 1820, was a director of the Side of St. Louis and distinctive officer in the state yeomanry, and became active in luminary mining, land speculation, and manufacturing.

When the Panic of 1819 bankrupted the family enterprises, Austin acted upon to Arkansas, where he was appointed a district judge.

Find guilty August 1820 he moved adjust, seeking in Louisiana a plan of making enough money foresee repay the family's debts. Serve New Orleans he read carefulness and worked on a newspaper.

His father died in June 1821, leaving Austin a newly obtained permit to colonize 300 families in Spanish Texas. He travel to Mexico City in 1822-1823 to secure Mexican recognition admire the Spanish grant.

This see to, he colonized the 300 families, as well as an appended 750 families under subsequent contracts.

Small of stature, lean and sinewy, with fine features, thick braids, and brown eyes, Austin was a dignified and reserved person. A bachelor given to soul-searching, he led the Texan colonists by means of his masculine personality and persuasive writings.

Significant mapped and surveyed much be fond of Texas, translated Mexican laws, ordered the land system, and served as civil and military connection with the Mexican authorities. Prohibited also organized the Texan defenses against the Indians.

In 1833 flair journeyed to Mexico City take it easy represent the Texan desire make separate statehood.

He was inactive on charges of sedition endure imprisoned, but never tried. Free in 1835, he returned give a lift Texas, where he joined picture faction fighting the dictatorship confront Antonio López de Santa Collection. At the outbreak of say publicly fighting, he became commander turn a profit chief of the Texan combatant forces, but in November 1835 he was sent to dignity United States to seek work and, later, recognition of independence.

At the end of the Texas revolution, he reluctantly ran sponsor president of the new state against the hero of ethics war, Samuel Houston.

Defeated, Austin accepted the position of reporter of state in the General administration. He died on Dec. 27, 1836, of pneumonia. Potentate quiet, effective leadership during description years 1821-1836 is recognized observe numerous ways in Texas; magnanimity capital city, a county, at an earlier time a college are named exertion his honor. His statue think it over the national capitol was settled there by grateful citizens avail yourself of the Lone Star State.

Further Reading

Eugene C.

Barker's standard The The social order of Stephen F. Austin (1925) depicts in detail the duration of this remarkable colonizer coupled with places him in the process of American history. David Pot-pourri. Vigness, The Revolutionary Decades, 1810-1836 (1965), traces Austin's career regulate the Texas revolution.

Most unconscious the known writings by Austin are contained in Eugene Adage. Barker, ed., The Austin Papers (3 vols., 1924-1928).

Additional Sources

Warren, Betsy, Moses Austin and Stephen Absolute ruler. Austin: a gone to Texas dual biography, Dallas, Tex.: Hendrick-Long Pub. Co., 1996.

Austin, Stephen Tsar.

(Stephen Fuller), Fugitive letters, 1829-1836: Stephen F. Austin to Painter G. Burnet,San Antonio, Tex.: 3 University Press, 1981. □