AUSTIN, Stephen Fuller, American pioneer: b. Wythe Co., Va., 1792; d. 27 Dec. 1836. He was a son of Moses Austin. He followed up the grant for a colony in Texas previously issued to his father. By it he was clothed with almost absolute power over the colonists, and only obliged to report to the captain-general. He founded what is now the city of Austin, the capital of Texas. The colony prospered, and, being accompanied by a considerable number of similar associations, promoted an influx of Americans to such an extent that they met 1 March 1833, without the concurrence of the Mexican population, in a convention to form a constitution for the as yet Mexican state of Texas. Austin was one of the delegates chosen to carry the result of their deliberations to the central govern ment at Mexico, and obtain its ratification. The delays and frequent revolutions at Mexico leading him to despair of ever bringing his commission to a close, he addressed a letter, 2 Oct. 1833, to the municipality of Bexar, and through them to the people of Texas, recom mending a union of all the municipalities to provide against the consequences of a probable refusal of their applications by organizing a state under the Acta constitutiva of 7 May 1824. This letter was considered treasonable,
and Austin was arrested and held as a hostage for the good behavior of Texas. There he was detained until September 1835. He was appointed a commissioner to the United States in November 1835. This was before the Texan declaration of independence; and it was not till after his arrival at New Orleans, and the information of the union of Santa Anna with the federal party for the invasion of Texas, that he was brought to the point of recom mending such a measure. He acted with prudence and patience, and was successful in preparing for the independence and annexation of the new republic. He was a candidate for the presidency, but was defeated by Samuel Houston, who appointed Austin his Secretary of State. The latter, however, died suddenly on 27 December of the same year. He is looked upon as one of the most eminent and honor able of the founders of Texan prosperity. Consult Wooten, 'History of Texas' (2 vols. Dallas 1899); and Yoakum, (History of Texas' (New York 1856).