James Morgan (1787-1866) was a Texas pioneer, merchant, land speculator and Commander at Galveston during the Texas Revolution (1835-1836). He first came to Texas in 1830. An empire builder and visionary, Morgan recognized the vast potential of Texas and cast his lot with speculators in New York City and Mexico City, who made it their business to wrest Texas from Mexico and annex it to the United States, while simultaneously hoping to realize large profits from the sale of land. In 1834, during the feverish era of speculation just prior to the Texas Revolution, Morgan organized an ambitious land venture called the New Washington Association. Other members of the venture included New Yorkers Samuel Swartwout, James Treat, James Watson Webb, Thomas E. Davis, John B. Austin, John S. Bartlett, Stephen Sicard, and Walter Mead, and from Mexico City, Lorenzo de Zavala.
From the guide to the James Morgan Papers MS 278., 1833-1850, (University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections)
