Stephen F. Austin

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American settlement in Texas when looked at from afar can be seen as an assault and seizure of Mexico’s northern frontier; however the situation with the aggregation of various cultures was much more convoluted than it appeared. Acting as empresario, Stephen F. Austin had many obligations such as managing the settlement of the region and acting as a liaison between the Mexican government and his settlers. When determining Gregg Cantrell’s portrayal of Stephen F. Austin, one must consider the fact that he: spent around fifteen years of his life as a devoted intermediary between Anglo settlers and Mexicans, occasionally backed the Mexican government during strife with other Anglos, and the life-long friendships that he formed with Tejanos over his career. When the previous conditions are examined, it is clear that Cantrell successfully portrays Stephan F. Austin as a proxy between Mexican and American cultures. During Austin’s fifteen years as empresario, he took his job very seriously. He showed his sincere devotion to his position when he took on the challenge of learning a new language, Spanish, which would help him communicate with Tejanos and Mexican government officials. When disputes arose, Austin, on occasion, would side with Mexican officials regardless of whether his opposition was also Anglo. In addition, Austin fought side-by-side with Mexican forces against a revolting group of Cherokees in the Fredonian rebellion of 1826-27 led by Haden Edwards, an Anglo empresario banished from Texas for antagonizing colonists which sometimes lead to physical bouts. Stephen F. Austin formed strong personal relationships with some Tejanos while serving as empresario. Austin, who was a quiet and reserved man, fell ill shortly after the death of his brother Brown Austin. When he was able to sit up and write, one of the first people he reached out to was a Tejano friend of

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