History of Texas.

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History of Texas

Before the 1500's, Texas was a massive land occupied by seven different kinds of Indian tribes. The seven tribes were: the Caddo's in east and northeast Texas, the Karankawa's ranged along the Gulf coast, the Coahuiltecan occupied the region along the lower Rio Grande, the Lipan-Apache were the furthest eastward and had the most contact with the early Texas settlements, the Comanche were in the north, and the Tonkawa lived in the region of central Texas. These tribes protected the land for hundreds of years until the first European explorer, Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, came to explore and map the Texas coastline.

As soon as the land was found, many other explorers came to Texas seeking for fortune and using it as a base for smuggling and privateering operations. Several European countries wanted to claim it as their own to build new settlements, especially Spain. The Spaniards built Catholic missions in Texas and along with the missions, the towns of San Antonio, Goliad, and Nacogdoches and formed the Mexican government.

Shortly after, Texas was becoming a more known place, and many people wanted to come and colonize it, even the Americans.

In 1821, Moses Austin, became the first man to obtain permission from the Mexican government to bring Anglo-American settlers into Spanish Texas. But before he could set out to Texas to build an American settlement, he contracted pneumonia and died. His dying wish was to have his son take over and colonize Texas. So two years later, his son, Stephen Austin, brought 300 families and settled on 200,000 acres of land. (Gracy)

Judged by historical standards, Austin did a great work. He began the Anglo-American colonization of Texas under conditions more difficult in some respects than those that confronted founders of the English colonies on the...