TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Guide to the Haden Edwards Papers, 1836-1838
Born to U. S. Senator John Edwards in Virginia, Haden (or Hayden) Edwards (1771-1849) studied law before marrying Susanna Beall, with whom he had thirteen children, in 1820. Three years later, Edwards joined Stephen F. Austin in convincing the Mexican government to allow American colonization in Texas. As empressario in the Nacogdoches area in 1825, he angered original settlers by making them prove their claims before he sold the lands to new inhabitants. After he certified the election of his son-in-law, the older settlers received aid from the militia to instate the opponent. Following these and additional issues, the Mexican government revoked Edwards’ grant in October 1826. He then established the Fredonia Republic with his brother and others, but they fled before Mexican forces arrived in early 1827. Edwards later returned to Nacogdoches to fight in the Texas Revolution, remaining there until his death in 1849.
McDonald, Archie P. "Edwards, Haden."Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed May 25, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fed04.
Comprising photocopies of legal documents, the Haden Edwards Papers, 1836-1838, document the career of Edwards in Nacogdoches, Texas. A 1836 letter of authorization from the Nacogdoches Committee of Vigilance and Safety sanctions Edwards to raise troops in the United States to aid the Texas Revolution, while an 1838 article of agreement between Edwards and the firm of Kaufman & Gould concern a land lawsuit.
This collection is open for research use.
Haden Edwards Papers, 1836-1838, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.