Joseph Broussard: The Cajun Pioneer Who Helped Settle Texas

Joseph Broussard (1702–1765), a French-Canadian frontiersman, led Acadian families from Nova Scotia to Louisiana in 1735. In 1746, he received a Spanish land grant in present-day Atascosa County, Texas, establishing the first permanent European settlement there. Known as "Cajuns," his group became vital to Spanish Texas.

Born in Port Royal, Acadia, Broussard was a skilled hunter, trapper, and guide for Spanish expeditions. After Spain acquired Louisiana (1763), the Cajuns relocated to Texas. Broussard died in a 1765 skirmish with Native Americans but remains a foundational figure in Texas history.