The Law of April 6, 1830 was issued because of the Mier y Terán Report to counter concerns that
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially ...
, part of the border state of
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.
It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) for ...
was in danger of being annexed by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Immigration of United States citizens had begun to accelerate and the law specifically banned any additional American colonists from settling in Mexican Territory, which included California and Texas, along with the areas that would become Arizona, parts of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. It also stopped the import of more slaves into Texas.
Background
In 1827 and 1829, the United States offered to purchase
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially ...
.
Both times, President
Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria (; 29 September 178621 March 1843), born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican general and political leader who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence. He ...
declined to sell part of the border state.
[Edmond son (2000), p. 78.] After the failed
Fredonian Rebellion
The Fredonian Rebellion (December 21, 1826 – January 31, 1827) was the first attempt by Anglo settlers in Texas to secede from Mexico. The settlers, led by Empresario Haden Edwards, declared independence from Mexican Texas and created the Re ...
in eastern Texas, the Mexican government asked General
Manuel Mier y Terán to investigate the outcome of the 1824 General Colonization Law in Texas. In 1829, Mier y Terán issued his report, which concluded that most Anglo Americans tried to isolate themselves from Mexicans. He also noted that slave reforms passed by the state were being ignored.
[Chapman (2001), p. 199.]
Terms
Almost all of Mier y Terán's recommendations were adopted in a series of laws passed on April 6, 1830, under President
Anastasio Bustamante
Anastasio Bustamante y Oseguera (; 27 July 1780 – 6 February 1853) was a Mexican physician, general, and politician who served as president of Mexico three times. He participated in the Mexican War of Independence initially as a royalist befo ...
.
[Henderson (2007), p. 68.]
The law explicitly banned any further immigration from the United States to Texas and any new slaves.
[Henderson (2005), p. 69.] Settlement contracts were brought under federal rather than state control, and colonies that did not have at least 150 inhabitants would be canceled.
[Vazquez (1997), pp. 62–63.] Provisions of the law were designed to encourage Mexican citizens to move from the interior to Texas. Mexicans who agreed to relocate to Texas would get good land, free transportation to Texas, and some financial assistance.
[ Convicts would be sent to Texas to build fortifications and roads to stimulate trade.][Manchaca (2001), p. 200.]
Aftermath
The ban and other measures did not stop US citizens from migrating to Texas by the thousands, and by 1834, it was estimated that over 30,000 Anglos lived in Texas,[Manchaca (2001), p. 201.] compared to only 7,800 Mexicans.[Manchaca (2001), p. 172.]
In regard to slavery, influential settler Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...
, who reasoned that the success of his colonies needed slave labor and the economics it produced to lure more whites to the area, used his relationships to get an exemption from the law.American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
See also
* General Colonization Law The Colonization Law of August 18, 1824 was a Mexican statute allowing foreigners to immigrate to the country.
Background
Under Spanish rule, New Spain was populated almost solely with native peoples or Spanish settlers. Foreign immigration was fo ...
, 1824
* Immigration to Mexico
Immigration to Mexico has been important in shaping the country's demographics. Since the early sixteenth century with the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Americas (particularly the United States a ...
* Illegal immigration to Mexico Illegal immigration in Mexico has occurred at various times throughout history, especially in the 1830s and since the 1970s. Although the number of deportations is declining with 61,034 registered cases in 2011, the Mexican government documented ove ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*{{citation, last=Weber, first=David J., author-link=David J. Weber, title=The Mexican frontier, 1821-1846: the American Southwest under Mexico, date=1982, publisher=University of New Mexico Press, isbn=978-0-8263-0603-6
1830 in Mexico
1830 in law
Legal history of Mexico
Mexican immigration law
Mexican Texas