Early Spainish efforts to settle Texas where at most lackluster, however they did bring great changes to the territory. The introduction of the horse was the catalyst of rapid expansion of some Indian tribes and the demise of others. The Commanches, by the late 1600s, were using horses to expand their range southwest across the plains, displacing the Apaches. The Apaches, in the 1720s, moved onto the lower Texas Plains, forcing the Jumamos and Coahuiltecans from their traditional hunting grounds.
New fears of French movement into East Texas brought about the establishment of three new missions in 1716. San Francisco de los Neches was established in what is now Houston County, near Weches. Nacogdoches was the site of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe and Nuestra Senora de los Delores was placed near present day San Augustine.
The East Texas missions did little better on the second try. Getting supplies was difficult and it became apparent to the Spanish that if they were to keep the missions going a way station was needed between northern Mexico and East Texas. This lead, in 1718, to the founding of San Antonio de Valero, later known as the Alamo, at San Pedro Springs. Because the Indians of the area did not get along with each other, other missions were established over the next few years to serve each group.
The mission system was very successful in converting most minor Indian tribes to Christiany and becoming early ranching centers with large herds of cattle and horses. The larger tribes like the Apaches would not be so easy to convert or "civilize". Apache raids on the herds of missions caused the Spanish to try to make more stable colonization efforts. Many Indians from Mexico were brought into Texas to serve as good examples to the local tribes. In 1731 colonist from the Spanish Carnary Islands, sixteen families, were brought to Texas to establish the Villa of San Fernando de Bexar. The first civil jurisdiction in Texas and today's modern San Antonio. Descendants of these families still live in San Antonio today.
The next 80 to 90 years brought a few more efforts to colonize Texas, mostly along the Rio Grande. Ranching was doing well in the San Antonio area. In 1795, a census indicated 69 families living on 45 ranches and a census of cattle in 1803 found 100,000 head in Texas.
Around 1800 Anglo-Americans began to filter into the Spanish frontier, Few came to settle in East Texas and were tolerated by the Spanish authorities. Others however were looking for opportunities to make money. One such man was Philip Nolan. Nolan entered Texas several times during the 1790s to capture wild horses to sell in the United States. Spanish Commander Don Pedro Nava, who at the beginning of Nolan's mustanging expeditions was helpful, ordered the Governor of Texas to arrest Philip Nolan if he returned to the province because he felt that Nolan was stirring up the Texas Indians against Spanish rule. Spanish forces encountered Nolan and his men in March of 1801. Entrenched and unwilling to surrender near Blum in current Hill County. Nolan was killed after which his men surrendered and were tried at Chihuahua by the Spanish authorities as invaders.
The Spanish came to realize that they must try to develop the economic potential of Texas if they were to counter act the Anglo-American threat. But Spain's centuries long role in the history of Texas was nearing an end. Resistance to Spanish rule had come to the New World through liberal ideas from the American and French revolutions. These ideas spread despite Spain's attempts to stop their dissemination.
The largest group of early immigrants from the United States were not Anglo-American, but Indian. The Cherokee came to Texas as early as 1818, settling north of Nacogdoches on lands between the Trinity and Sabine rivers. The Cherokee had adopted agriculture and many Anglo customs. The Alabama and Coushatta tribes had settled in what is now Sabine County in the early 1800s. Soon after the Cherokee came groups of Shawnee, Delaware and Kickapoo tribes.
Spain began a program to try regulate Anglo colonization by issuing empresario grants. The first one was given, in January 1821, to Moses Austin. He agreed to settle 300 families on land in East Texas. Austin died in June of 1821, leaving his son, Stephen F. Austin to carry out his plans. The first colonists arrived in Texas in December of 1822, only to learn that Mexico had won independence from Spain. Mexico did honor Austin's grant and began issuing more. More than 25 empresario grants were given to settle colonists in Texas. Austin was by far the most successful of the empresarios. Through his efforts 1,540 land titles were issued to settlers.
Forward to the Prelude to Revolution in Texas.
Back to the Exploration of Texas.
Back to the Texas Histroy index.
Back to Texas main page.