Stephen F. Austin established the first colony in Texas and helped settle hundreds of families there despite facing many challenges. Early problems included drought that ruined crops, forcing settlers to hunt wild game, and attacks from Native Americans. Austin set up defenses by establishing militias and a headquarters. By 1824, his colony contained 297 families known as the "Old Three Hundred," mostly farmers from the southern U.S., including slaveholders. The colony grew to over 1,790 people with more than 400 slaves by 1825.

1. Chapter 8: Americans Settle in Texas Section 3: The Austin Colonies