cked up their belongings and headed out west were they could live without fear. This was the beginning stage of the changing and expanding of the west. Stephen Austin was granted the right to bring 300 American families to this territory by the Mexican government, which was now independent. Not only were these families migrating to the unsettled land, but once they arrived, they were there to stake the land and claim it as their own to the dismay of many Indians already residing on the land.Once the Americans began settling in Mexico, they entered into a quid pro quo situation with the Mexican government: these families received about 4,000 acres of land each, and in exchange, they had to convert to Catholicism, (Peterson). Although there was a law made in 1830 banning the expansion of Americans into Mexico, there were over 20,000 Americans calling Mexico home by 1835, (Peterson). The Austin settlement in 1821 was soon followed by 26 other groups of Americans settling along east Texas along the Sabine River and south central Texas (the Brazos and the Colorado), (Armitage, Buhle, Czitrom, Faragher 244). The Americans were attracted to Texas because of inexpensive land. “Undeveloped land in the United States cost $1.25 an acre for a minimum of 80 acres ($100) payable in specie at the time of purchase,” (Barker 35). Each head of the family, be it male or female, could claim a headright of 4,605 acres at a cost of four cents per acre payable over six years, a total that was later reduced by the state powers, (Barker 36). Although the land was plentiful and affordable, this opportunity had its drawbacks as well. This sudden expansion into foreign land by the Americans created much turmoil among the native people of Mexico. The two groups of people differed vastly and this put much strain on the new relationship. For example, the Mexicans were dominantly Catholic, while the Americans were Protestants. Another source of ...
