Martín de León: Tejano Empresario

By Judy Alter

Don Martín de León was the only Tejano empresario to settle a colony in Texas, in the days before statehood. Other empresarios, such as Moses Austin and Sterling C. Robertson, were Anglos who had been drawn to Texas by the lure of land. De León established his colony in southeast Texas, near the Gulf Coast, and founded the city of Victoria. He and his four sons governed the colony. Though Don Martín died in 1833, his sons actively supported the Texas fight for independence by giving money and goods to the Texas Volunteers. But the family suffered from a general prejudice against people of Mexican descent--they lost their land and livestock and had to leave Texas. They returned in the late 1840s, but they no longer had the immense holdings of land and cattle that Don Martín had accumulated. In 1972, the de León family was honored with Texas state historical markers on family graves in Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria. Finally, Martín de León and his family are recognized for their loyalty to Texas, their support of the Texas Revolution, and their contributions to the Republic of Texas. Martín de León is the fourth title in The Stars of Texas Series, aimed at fourth graders studying for the Texas history section of the TAKS test. The other three books in the series, Henrietta King: Rancher and Philanthropist, Mirabeau B. Lamar: Second President of Texas, and Miriam "Ma" Ferguson: First Woman Governor of Texas have been chosen for the Accelerated Reader program, and Henrietta King was a Spur Award finalist.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933337087
• ISBN13: 9781933337081
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: State House Press
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.2" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

A True Look at Texas History for Young Readers

"Martin de Leon, Tejano Empresario" opens with an Introduction which gives a condensed version of de Leon's life and his founding of the city of Victoria, before moving into chapters explaining his childhood and the upheavals that occurred during the early 19th century in Mexico. These upheavals, after several decades, eventually led to the Texas Revolution. In the xenophobia just after the end of the Texas Revolution, the de Leon family, along with many other Tejanos, were forced from their homes, leaving behind several million dollars in property and land. Years later, after the death of Don Martin, the impoverished family returned to Texas only to find their belongings scattered amongst newcomers in Victoria. Today, St. Mary's Catholic Church stands on the site of the original de Leon homestead. Interesting sidebars explain the "Grito de Dolores" in 1810, an incident celebrated today as Diez y Seis de Septiembre. There are also sidebars on curing cow hides, taken from Martin de Leon's 1827 record book, as well as a formula for dying cured cowhides black. This biography, written for juvenile readers 9 to 12, highlights an important person and event in Texas history. What I personally like about the book is the way the author never condescends to her young readers, but presents facts with straightforward clarity. The times the characters lived in, the characters themselves, are revealed, flaws and all.