Moses Austin (1761-1821)

He was born in Durham, Connecticut, and initially worked in the dry goods business before entering the lead mining industry. In the 1790s, he established lead mining operations in southwestern Virginia, becoming one of the region's most successful entrepreneurs. He later moved to Missouri around 1798, where he founded the town of Potosi and developed extensive lead mines, making him one of the territory's wealthiest citizens. The Financial Panic of 1819 devastated his mining empire, leaving him virtually bankrupt. Desperate to restore his fortune, he conceived an ambitious plan to establish an American colony in Spanish Texas. In late 1820, he traveled to San Antonio, where Spanish authorities initially rejected his petition. However, Austin's prior Spanish citizenship from his Missouri years (when it was Spanish territory) and his pledge to bring Catholic settlers persuaded Governor Antonio María Martínez to approve his colonization request in January 1821. Austin began the arduous return journey to Missouri but fell ill along the way. He died in June 1821, shortly after reaching home, never seeing his vision realized. On his deathbed, he extracted a promise from his son Stephen F. Austin to carry forward the colonization plan. Stephen honored his wish and established the first legal Anglo-American colony in Texas, becoming the "Father of Texas."