Mexican Texas is the name given by
Texas history scholars to
Texas during the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of
Mexico. The period began with
Mexico's victory over
Spain in its
war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very similarly to
Spanish Texas. The
1824 Constitution of Mexico joined Texas with
Coahuila to form the state of
Coahuila y Tejas. The same year, Mexico enacted the
General Colonization Law, which enabled all heads of household, regardless of race or immigrant status, to claim land in Mexico. The first
empresarial grant had been made under Spanish control to
Stephen F. Austin, whose settlers, known as the
Old Three Hundred, settled along the
Brazos River in 1822. The grant was later ratified by the Mexican government. Twenty-three other empresarios brought settlers to the state, the majority from the
United States of America, while others were from Mexico and Europe.