Why didn't Texas's population boom until the 1850s?

It only had 212k people as late as 1850; this includes Mexicans and Natives. That was some of the best land in Mexico at the time... especially compared to the deserts that bordered it.

What would have needed to happen for the Spaniards/Mexicans to settle Texas?
 
It only had 212k people as late as 1850; this includes Mexicans and Natives. That was some of the best land in Mexico at the time... especially compared to the deserts that bordered it.

What would have needed to happen for the Spaniards/Mexicans to settle Texas?
Distance from the economic/administrative power center of Central Mexico before 1800, (as the dominant economic system of "old" Latin American colonies was based on readily organizable native labor, which didn't really exist in Texas) and lingering instability from the Wars of Independence/Texan Revolution/Mexican-American War after that.
 
Distance from the economic/administrative power center of Central Mexico before 1800, (as the dominant economic system of "old" Latin American colonies was based on readily organizable native labor, which didn't really exist in Texas) and lingering instability from the Wars of Independence/Texan Revolution/Mexican-American War after that.

Uncertain politics

Weak central economy

Comanche raids

Unsettled borders

Pretty much all of this. And even after the Civil War, there were still large parts of TX-mainly the Panhandle and certain other places out West-that remained virtually uninhabited until almost the end of the century, primarily because of conflict with the local indigenous peoples.
 
Because before 1850 most of Texas was beyond the frontier for both the US and Mexico.

People migrated to North America mostly through the east coast ports because it was the cheapest and shortest trip and then moved to the frontier. Traveling to Texas would add weeks to that trip and bypass a lot of good and cheap land to get there.
 
If one looks at the Spanish period, Texas was at the ass end of civilization. In the 18th century, the Apache played hell on the Spanish interest in expanding their presidio and mission system.
From 1821 to 1836 30,000 Anglo-Europeans immigrated to Texas, and at least half of that came in after Mexico restricted immigration in 1830. The problem is that Texas was still the ass end of civilization, and the Comanche had supplanted the Apache. They had rightly earned the title "Lords of the Plains."
The economy of the republic of Texas was a bit of a basket case, and accumulated 10 million dollars in debt in just a single decade.
But let's look at the numbers, between 1836 and 1850, Texas grew by more than 10,000 people per year. This was at a time when the ports were not much to speak of and you had to really want to get there to go overland.
 
Sheridian once said that if he owned hell and Texas, he'd "rent out Texas and live in Hell."

That should say all that needs to be said...
 
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Better firearms technology and a religious, political, or ethnic minority population in Spain that wants to bug out and start a new in a colony. A more liberal government could encourage colonization of Texas.

It isn't so much firearms but military tactics and investment spent on the military in those regions subject to the Comanche/Apache. I think I recall reading the citizens of New Mexico in the Spanish era were less trained and had inferior supplies (lack of powder/workable guns) than equivalent Yankee frontier settlers. They could keep larger garrisons in the area too, preferably with good cavalry and good leaders to repel the hit-and-run raids and livestock theft which the Comanche and others excelled at. The goal would be to bleed the Comanche dry and convince them to sign a treaty very favourable to the Spanish, which would also give the Comanche the benefit of trade with the Spanish--Spain could get similar results, and it could be even more favourable for them.

Unfortunately, this all costs a lot of money which Spain didn't have, or at least which Spain wasn't willing to spend on backwater, remote colonies like Tejas or New Mexico.
 
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