The growth of American settlers in Texas, led by empresarios such as Moses Austin and later by Stephen F. Austin, and the attempts of the Mexican government to assimilate them were contradicted by differences in cultural identity and the divisive issue of slavery, ultimately contributing to the Texas Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of Texas.
The resettlement of Texas under Mexican rule saw significant efforts by the Mexican government to control and assimilate American settlers. Among these were the initiatives led by empresarios like Moses Austin, who helped establish Anglo-American presence in Texas with the agreement that settlers would adopt Catholicism. However, a mismatch in cultural and political aspirations, notably around the contentious issue of slavery, spurred tensions between the Tejanos and the Anglo settlers.
Stephen F. Austin subsequently inherited his father's grant and led the first 300 families into Texas, but the Mexican President Vicente Guerrero's abolition of slavery aimed at weakening the influence of these American settlers added to the strife. This clash of ideologies set the stage for the Texas Revolution, the declaration of the Republic of Texas, and later annexations like the Oregon Territory, all under the banner of Manifest Destiny.