WHAT DO YOU KNOW about the Old 300?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about the Old 300? The “Old 300” (actually 297) were the first Anglo families to form a colony in the Mexican state of Tejas. Moses Austin was a Missouri businessman with many varied investments, including mining, banking and others. He educated his son Stephen in the east. As a result of his business ventures, Moses Austin had much indebtedness and the financial panic of 1819 was devastating for him and his family. While attempting to settle his debts, he became ill and died leaving his vision of a colony in the Mexican state (Coahuila y Tejas) to son his Stephen F. Austin. Before his death, Moses Austin had begun seeking persons eager to acquire new land. However it was his son Stephen who dutifully, but with reluctance, took up his late father’s project and brought the new settlers to Texas from the years 1822 to 1824. The “families” were loosely defined. Some were people of means. Some were traditional families with children. Others were couples, married or not, and single men with relatives. All came to acquire cheap land. Heads of households were allotted one labor (177 acres) to farm and/or one league (4428 acres) to raise stock. The colony of 19,000 square miles was located in southeast Texas between the Lavaca and San Jacinto Rivers and on the gulf coastline. The nucleus of the colony was named San Felipe de Austin. The beautiful rolling land had rich black and sandy soils with creeks and heavy timber. Stephen Austin charged a very modest fee for surveying the land and issuing the title. The land had to be cultivated within two years or forfeited and made available again. Austin, well educated, diplomatic and a Spanish speaker was an intermediary between his mostly American colonists and the Mexican authorities who were recently independent from Spain. These early settlers were mostly from the states in Middle America, and Alabama and Louisiana. But some came from Canada and Great Britain. Many traveled down the Mississippi River, others came on horseback, and one family arrived with two dozen wagons and 100 slaves. Just as had happened on the east coast, Native Americans were forced from their land by the Old 300. Although Stephen Austin spoke Spanish and was politically wise, he was no match for President Santa Ana. He traveled to Mexico to argue for rights that his American colonists expected. Santa Ana made him wait for two weeks for an audience. He was granted most of his requests except his plea for self-government. While traveling back to his colony, his letter critical of his time in Mexico City was intercepted. Austin was arrested, returned to Mexico and imprisoned in solitary confinement without a trial. Officials did not trust American migrants and the Texians did not appreciate the ways of Mexicans.* After almost two years, two U.S. attorneys accomplished Austin’s return on Christmas Day 1834. Carole Sikes 9/2021 (*) Texian is the name for a migrant residing in Mexico’s state of Tejos. Ref: Old 300-Gone to Texas by Paul N. Spellman; Austin’Old 300- first Anglo Colony in Texas by WolframVon-Maszewski; Old 300 by Christopher for Texas State Hist. Assn.