Occupations of settlers

[steves]

While I'm sure some scholarly work deals with this...Anyone know of a breakdown of known occupations amongst Anglo-Saxons in Texas? Impression I've got(probably false) is that those who were not Rogues or filibusters were mainly small tradesmen or professional men....does that just mean we don't know much about the labourers,et al?
Steve

[Don Guillermo]

First one should qualify what is meant by "Anglo-Saxons in Texas" and what period is being referred to.

I can provide a glimpse of the occupations of the Anglo-Mexicans of the period in analysis of those DeWitt Colonists, Anglo-Mexicans all, that participated in the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force (the only organized force in Texas which effectively responded to the appeals of doomed colleagues in the Alamo mission under siege in March 1836).

These were men, some single and in today's standards underaged to be called "men", but most husbands and fathers of large families who overcame conflict over concern for their families short and long term safety, conflicted loyalty to the Constitution of 1824 that had accepted them with open arms and granted them a new life as Mexican citizens, the hatred precipitated by their betrayal by the Centralista dictatorship of Santa Anna, the commitment to Texas Independence and suspicion that the Alamo might be a lost cause in the larger war of independence. Fathers and sons, some in their teens, argued over who should go and who should remain with family (King and Kent). Patriotic mothers and impending widows, some pregnant (Kimble) and one blind mother of multiple small children (Millsap), agonized, but consented and encouraged husbands to go to the aid of their neighbors.

Of the 27 members of the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force who can be clearly verified as DeWitt Colony residents, the oldest was Andrew Kent at age 44, 4 were over 40, 5 aged 31-40, 14 aged 21-30 and four (Fuqua, Gaston, Kellogg and King) were teenagers, the youngest of which was 16.

Records show at least seventeen had been engaged in prior voluntary military engagements in service of Texas, primarily in the Battles of Gonzales, Concepcion and Bexar. At least 22 were property owners (or members of families who were) in the colony. Three were civil servants of record (Kent, Miller, Millsaps), most were farmers and ranchers, two (Kimble and Miller) were merchants and two (Almeron Dickinson and Jacob Darst) were skilled blacksmiths with shops in Gonzales. Seven within the group were related to at least one other member and several had multiple relations in the group.

Although it can be argued this group was exceptional, at least ten more DeWitt Colony residents were defenders of the Alamo and died there. Several more were couriers not present in the final moments of battle. They also fit the general occcupational profile of the relief force volunteers.

It can be argued that somehow DeWitt Colonists were exceptional because of statistics that participation of the DeWitt Colonists in the Battle of Gonzales and the Battles to remove the Centralistas from San Antonio de Bexar, the ancient capital of Texas, culminating with the Battle of the Alamo show their participation was larger per resident than any other single municipality or district of Texas. Members of families of the Municipality of Gonzales, who comprised only about 4% of the total population of Texas, accounted for 20% of the casualties at the Alamo. Put another way, over 4% of the total population of the DeWitt Colony, among them some of their most productive landholders, ranchers and farmers as well as merchants and civic leaders, died in the Alamo while total Alamo casualties represented less than 0.5% of the total population of Texas.

However, it is quite likely that this group was representative in terms of profession, loyalties and ethics to the great majority of Anglo-Mexican settlers in the period in terms of occupation and background and for that matter the settlers of Hispanic-Mexican background who paved the way for them to immigrate to Texas. It should be noted that to obtain land titles as an Anglo-Mexican immigrant to Texas, one must show evidence of good moral character and potential skill, and for citizenship upholding the Constitution of 1824 and becoming a Christian which most Anglo-Mexican immigrants did.

These Mexican citizens were not the "Rogues or filibusters" who later increased in number during days of the Republic and early statehood. Those elements became predominant only after the Anglo and Hispanic Texans won independence from Mexico and earlier from Spain.

Lastly, one should not ignore the occupation equally important to the men of the period that in those days could be termed "homestead protectors" that was the majority occupation of the women of Texas of the period.

DG

[steves]

donguillermo said:

However, it is quite likely that this group was representative in terms of profession, loyalties and ethics to the great majority of Anglo-Mexican settlers in the period in terms of occupation and background and for that matter the settlers of Hispanic-Mexican background who paved the way for them to immigrate to Texas. It should be noted that to obtain land titles as an Anglo-Mexican immigrant to Texas, one must show evidence of good moral character and potential skill, and for citizenship upholding the Constitution of 1824 and becoming a Christian which most Anglo-Mexican immigrants did.

These Mexican citizens were not the "Rogues or filibusters" who later increased in number during days of the Republic and early statehood. Those elements became predominant only after the Anglo and Hispanic Texans won independence from Mexico and earlier from Spain.

Lastly, one should not ignore the occupation equally important to the men of the period that in those days could be termed "homestead protectors" that was the majority occupation of the women of Texas of the period.

DG

That's pretty much what I suspected about the pre-conflict settlers.....for the 1835/36 period.some popular histories perhaps over-emphasize the part of volunteers from the US to a degree which gives a false perception of the majority of the population.
Steve

[stuart]

I'd forgotten about this thread...

I think its also important not to over-generalise (or overly romanticise) the character of those serving in the Texian armies.

Those in Texas at the beginning are (a) pretty well described by Don G. above, and (b) almost by definition decent law abiding family men. Remember that definition was legally required of settlers taking up Mexican land grants.

Those less savoury characters who had "gone to Texas", or in that wonderful phrase "left their country for their country's good" probably didn't get much further than Nacogdoches since they were more concerned with getting out of the US than with going to Texas to settle.

The war started out obviously enough with the respectable settlers, but as the siege of Bexar dragged on they were joined by volunteer companies from Nacogdoches and from the US. After the fall of Bexar most of the respectable settlers went home to see their families and raise a crop; leaving the footloose adventurers from Nacogdoches and the US to take up the fight pretty much by themselves.

After the fall of the Alamo, the army which Houston hammered together was then a mixture of dispossessed settlers and newly arrived volunteers from the US - the original lot having nearly all been killed or captured

The breakdown of character/occupations of those serving in the army was therefore not only complex, but varied considerably depending on exactly where and when you're actually looking at the army

[leet]

I'm new to the Forum, but thought this might be what you were looking for in the initial post about occupations.
Occupations of settlers can be found in many of the Mexican Census records taken just prior to the Republic. Other records also give some information on activities of the settlers.
A receipt for cutting shingles survives among the records of Andrew Kent, Alamo defender. Andrew, my G3Grandfather, settled on his Mexican Grant on the LaVaca River where numerous Juniper (Texas Cedars) grew. These were the source of wood for his shingles.

In 1828 and 29 in Nacogdoches Henry Stockman and his two brothers, Peter and Joseph Anthony were recorded in the Mexican Census as Carpenters.
Of course "Farmer" was pretty much a universal occupation.
Below are some representative census record links....

Williams Settlement 1835, Rusk County -every head of household is a farmer. ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tx/census/1835/1835ws.txt

1833 census of Nacogdoches -
ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tx/census/1833/1833nac.txt

Census Report of all the Jurisdiction of La Bahia del Espiritu Santo.
for the year 1810 - Quite a variety of occupations found here. ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tx/census/1810/1810labahia.txt

Hope this helps.