Site of the Home of John Austin
Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Member of Long's Expedition in 1819. Pioneer settler in Austin's colony. Alcalde of Brazoria, 1832. Commander at the Battle of Velasco. Signer of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions; died in 1833
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
John Austin lived at the turbulent birth of Anglo Texas. He rode with the ill-fated Long Expedition of 1819, settled among Stephen F. Austin's colonists, and served as alcalde of Brazoria before commanding at the 1832 Battle of Velasco, one of the first armed clashes between Texas colonists and Mexican troops. He signed the Turtle Bayou Resolutions that same year, declaring the colonists' grievances, and died in 1833 โ just before the revolution he had helped set in motion.
Why it matters
Austin stands among the colonial-era Texans whose confrontations with Mexican authority in 1832 lit the fuse of the Texas Revolution that would follow within a few years.
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Related people
- ยท John Austin
- ยท Stephen F. Austin
Related events
- ยท Long Expedition
- ยท Battle of Velasco
- ยท Turtle Bayou Resolutions
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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