USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Empresario Martín De León founded the city of Victoria and played a key role in settling the Texas Coastal Bend. De León was born in 1765 to an aristocratic family in Burgos, Mexico. After serving as a soldier, De León married and planned to settle his new family in Texas.

Detailed explanation-2: -He was finally successful after Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821. De León received a land grant in 1824 to start a colony of 41 Mexican families in Texas, on the lower Guadalupe River.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mexican independence from Spain brought a more open colonization policy. On April 8, 1824, De León petitioned the provincial delegation at San Fernando de Béxar to settle forty-one Mexican families on the lower Guadalupe and founded the town of Nuestra Señora Guadalupe de Jesús Victoria.

Detailed explanation-4: -By the year 1806, the De León family had settled on the banks of the Aransas River. Don Martín immediately got involved in ranching. He raised cattle, goats, mules and horses. Seeing the great profits of the business, he wanted his own ranch and therefore petitioned to the Spanish Governor in San Antonio for land.

Detailed explanation-5: -It was the only colony in Texas settled predominately by Mexicans, as opposed to colonists who immigrated from outside Mexico. De León was to receive five leagues (22, 140-acres) upon the settlement of the forty-one families. De León located his ranch along Garcitas Creek.