Stephen F. Austin

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I was born November 3, 1793 in Austinville, Virginia to Mary and Moses Austin. When I was nine years old we boarded a flatboat to go to Missouri so our family could live without being in debt. We arrived in Missouri and were planning on having a two-story house. Nearby, there was also a barn, stable, smokehouse, blacksmith shop, and henhouse. I often played with the neighbors, which are Indian children.
Later that same year Durham Hall, our house, was attacked, and we made the Indians leave before they attacked again. My dad asked for soldiers to guard our mine, but they refused. After they refused, he found a cannon, put it in working condition, and set it in front of our mine so no one could get in. My dad and I raised an American flag every day.
The next year, when I was 11 years old, I set out on a thousand-mile journey to go to school since there is no proper school in Missouri. I attended Bacon Academy along with 200 other boys. My father sent me a letter saying to “study hard so I can achieve my future dreams.” In the same letter, he warned me saying, “ your troubles on your journey will learn you a little of what your are to expect to meet with in life.” My studies included grammar, writing, logic, mathematics, and geography. My dad also told me to learn as little Greek as possible, as it would not help me in life. I successfully made it through school, including college.
I was barely 17 when I returned home. Even though I was so young my father gave me huge responsibilities involving the family mines and other enterprises. Since I was home, my mother focused on my little sister’s education. She took her back to New England to attend a school suitable for proper young ladies. My eight-year-old brother went along, as he w...

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...d it to. Eventually I was able to settle 900 additional families. The colonies began to grow really fast, and the United States wanted to buy Texas.
The Mexican president, Santa Anna, would not approve a state government for Texas. He then arrested me, and sent me back to Mexico City. I was gone from Texas for 28 months. When I got back, Texas was ready to go to war with Mexico so I commanded a group of volunteers, and led them against the Mexicans. I offered to become president of Texas, but I wasn’t elected to that position and became secretary of state.

Works Cited

http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/bios/austin/austin.html

http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form.asp?pers_id=3

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/austin.htm

http://myrahmcilvain.wordpress.com/tag/durham-hall/

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/austin.htm

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