Stephen Fuller Austin (1793-1836)
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| − | Stephen Fuller Austin was born [[Nov 3]], 1793 in Austinville, Virginia "at the lead mines in Southwestern Virginia", son of Moses Austin (1767-1821) and Maria Brown. Stephen was raised on the Missouri frontier, where his family had moved when he was five years old and where his father Moses had a lead-mining operation in Bellevue, [[Washington County, Missouri]]. | + | Stephen Fuller Austin was born [[Nov 3]], 1793 in Austinville, Virginia "at the lead mines in Southwestern Virginia", son of Moses Austin (1767-1821) and Maria Brown. Stephen was raised on the Missouri frontier, where his family had moved when he was five years old and where his father Moses had a lead-mining operation in Bellevue, [[Washington County, Missouri]]. Moses Austin established the town of Potosi in Washington County. |
| − | The [[Economic Panic of 1819]] led his father to embark on a scheme for the colonization of Texas, then part of Mexico. In 1821 Moses obtained a grant from the Mexican government, but died soon thereafter. It was his son Stephen who followed his father's idea and started a colony there in 1822 with several hundred families on the Brazos River. | + | Stephen served in the Missouri Territorial Legislature, from 1814 to 1819. He was judge of the Circuit Court serving Lawrence County, Arkansas Territory in 1820. The [[Economic Panic of 1819]] led his father to embark on a scheme for the colonization of Texas, then part of Mexico. In 1821 Moses obtained a grant from the Mexican government, but died soon thereafter. It was his son Stephen who followed his father's idea and started a colony there in 1822 with several hundred families on the Brazos River. |
He attempted to get the Mexican government to make Texas a seperate state within Mexico. When this attempt failed, he advocated that Texas declare itself a seperate state without waiting for the approval of the Mexican congress. For this he was thrown into prison but released in 1835. | He attempted to get the Mexican government to make Texas a seperate state within Mexico. When this attempt failed, he advocated that Texas declare itself a seperate state without waiting for the approval of the Mexican congress. For this he was thrown into prison but released in 1835. | ||
