Final answer:
Moses Austin, an entrepreneur, planned an Anglo-American settlement in Texas to increase the non-Native population, provide a buffer zone, and protect against American expansion. When Moses Austin passed away, his son Stephen led the first 300 families to Texas in 1821, leading to a significant increase in the American population and eventually the formation of the Republic of Texas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Moses Austin was an entrepreneur who planned an Anglo-American settlement in Texas. He sought permission from Spain to settle English-speaking American residents in Texas in exchange for generous land grants. Spain agreed on the condition that the settlers convert to Roman Catholicism. However, when Moses Austin passed away, his son Stephen took over and successfully carried out his father's plans.
Moses Austin's plan to settle Anglo-American residents in Texas was motivated by several factors. Spain, and later Mexico, wanted to encourage settlement in Texas as a means to increase the non-Native population, establish a buffer zone between Native tribes and the rest of Mexico, and protect against potential American expansion. The fertile soil and favorable climate of Texas also attracted settlers, particularly from slave states, who saw opportunities to expand slavery and the cotton industry.
When Moses Austin's son, Stephen, came to Texas, he led the first 300 families into the region in 1821. The American population in Texas quickly grew in the following years, with thousands of Americans, primarily from slave states, settling in the region and outnumbering the Mexican residents. This influx of American settlers eventually led to the Texas Revolution and the formation of the Republic of Texas, marking a significant chapter in U.S. westward expansion.