Influential Hispanics of Early TexasMay 30, 2010Influential Hispanics of Early TexasMany people indigenous to New Spain and later Mexico had settled in Texas when it was a state in northern Mexico. Many contributed to efforts to tame this wild paradise and bring civilization to the region beyond what Spanish missionaries had begun a century before. In 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain and began actively recruiting people to populate the lands north of the Rio Grande with much more urgency than Spain. Residents were of both Spanish and Euro-American descent. Those who held the power to organize these colonies were called Empresarios. The Empressarios requested huge tracts of land and then had the power to sell to those who wished to settle there and pledge allegiance to Mexico----agreeing to become citizens and Catholics. Mexicans who moved to North Texas were known as Tejanos (Tejanas for women). In 1836, when Texas gained independence from Mexico, Tejanos remained concentrated in the colonies founded in the 18th century, namely Nacogdoches, San Antonio, Goliad, and Laredo. Other communities with a population primarily of Mexican descent in 1836 included Victoria, founded by Martín De León in 1824, and the villages of San Elizario, Ysleta, and Socorro in far West Texas. (Arnoldo De Leon). The Anglo-historian's main focus was in the area of ​​the colonies established by Stephen F. Austin. The Austin settlements are those most frequently referenced in the commonly known history of modern Texans. However, Hispanics participated in the revolution and sacrificed their lives and property alongside the Anglo C...... middle of paper ......cument, but in a short time they converted their course towards the separation and independence of Mexico. . He was involved in drafting the constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836, of which Zavalla was elected vice president. He held this position until ill health forced him to abandon the position. A month later, he was dead after the boat he was in overturned in Buffalo Bayou, dousing him in cold water, causing him to contract pneumonia. (www.tshaonline.org)Referenceshttp://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45390.asphttp://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/alamo.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/events /1830_1840.htm#1835http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/tejanopatriots.htmhttp://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/history/lcummins/MexicanAmericanLessonPlans/smoJuseguin/Erasmohttp://www.bellaonline.com /articles/art45390.asp