What term describes the contract-based settlement system used to bring Anglo colonists to Texas under Mexican rule?

• A. The homestead act.
• B. Open range policy.
• C. The empresario system.
• D. Military colonization program.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how Mexico organized settlement in Texas through a contract-based system with empresarios. Under this approach, the Mexican government granted land to an empresario, who then contractually agreed to recruit, transport, and establish colonies of settlers on that land. The empresario could sell plots to settlers and was responsible for bringing families, helping them settle, and meeting government requirements. In exchange, the empresario received land rights and a fee or a portion of the land for his services. This system, used after Mexican independence, brought many Anglo settlers into Texas, with famous figures like Moses Austin and his son Stephen F. Austin playing key roles. It’s distinct from other terms like a homestead act (U.S. land-grant policy), an open range policy (grazing practices), or a military colonization program, because it specifically relies on contracts with individuals who recruit and organize colonists to settle under Mexican rule.