Americans and Mexicans came to Texas in the 1820s primarily for opportunities in land ownership and settlement under Mexican colonization policies. Mexico, having gained independence from Spain in 1821, wanted to develop and secure its northern borderlands, including Texas, which was sparsely populated. To achieve this, the Mexican government encouraged immigration by granting land to settlers (including Americans) who agreed to become Mexican citizens, convert to Catholicism, and abide by Mexican laws. Several key reasons attracted settlers:
- Many Americans saw Texas as a place to start fresh, especially farmers from the Mississippi Valley who faced financial difficulties after the War of 1812 and wanted to escape their creditors. Texas offered cheap land and a chance to rebuild their fortunes since Mexico did not have agreements with the U.S. to enforce debt repayments.
- Mexico hoped the settlers, including Anglo-Americans, would help secure the region against Native American raids and foreign invasion, acting as a buffer on the frontier.
- Empresarios like Moses Austin and later his son Stephen F. Austin received land grants to bring families from the U.S. to settle Texas, promoting farming and development. Settlers established farms and plantations, often bringing enslaved people to cultivate cotton and sugarcane, despite Mexico's initial laws opposing slavery.
- Many Americans believed that Texas might eventually be annexed by the United States, especially since there were misunderstandings about territorial boundaries following the Louisiana Purchase and the Adams-Onís Treaty.
- Mexicans also migrated to Texas but in smaller numbers compared to the growing Anglo-American population, which led to tensions and concerns within the Mexican government about retaining control over the territory.
Thus, the 1820s migration to Texas was driven by economic opportunity, land availability, and Mexico’s strategic goals to populate and secure the frontier with settlers willing to abide by Mexican laws, though many of these settlers retained cultural and political ties to the United States.