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Mission Settlements
First Mission Are Built
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Spain Looks to Texas
• 1682 – mission at Corpus Christi de la
Ysleta established (El Paso)
• Most Spanish activity in East Texas
• Fear of French settlements - ↑ in building
missions, presidios (military settlements),
and towns
• Learned of La Salle’s fort – sent Alonso de
León to destroy fort
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A Tejas Mission
• De León goes NW and meets group of
Hasinai (called Tejas – meaning friend)
• Angelina served as a guide and interpreter
– Only woman to have county, river, national
forest, and town named after her
• Father Damián Massanet sought to have
mission built in East Texas
– June 1, 1690 – San Francisco de los Tejas
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A Mission Abandoned
• San Francisco de los Tejas faced troubles
– Drought, disease, and rejection of Catholic faith
• France no longer a threat; therefore, mission abandoned
• 1699 – Mission San Juan Bautista “Mother of Texas Missions”
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Built near present-day Eagle Pass on Rio Grande
Provided series of river crossings
Grew into 3 missions, a presidio, and a town
Base for many expeditions into East Texas
Provided grain, cattle, and horses to E. Tex missionaries
• Father Francisco Hidalgo asks permission to return to E. Tex but is
ignored
5
France Threatens Again
• 1699 – French colony established along mouth of Mississippi River
• French not interested in taking Indian territory or converting to
Catholicism
• Made large profits by exchanging blankets, guns, and wine for furs,
and skins
• Hoped to trade with Spanish merchants in Mexico, but Spanish law
prohibited foreigners from trading in Spanish colonies
• Father Hidalgo asks French to establish mission among Tejas
• French see offer as an opening to trade
• Louis de St. Denis sent to negotiate with Spanish
• Captain Diego Ramón alarmed at unexpected arrival of French – St.
Denis arrested but later allowed to escort Spanish to East Texas
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Mission Settlements
Spanish Settlements
Chapter 5
Section 2
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Missions Are Established in East
Texas
• 1716 Spanish return to East Texas
• Spanish families come as well
• 1717 – 6 missions and a presidio (Nuestra Señora de
los Dolores de los Tejas)
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San Antonio is Founded
• Need for midway settlement between Rio
Grande and East Texas
• Spanish of East Texas had to trade with
French or starve
• Presidio San Antonio de Bexar built in 1718
• Father Antonio de San Buenaventrua y
Olivares founded San Antonio de Valero
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Aguayo Defends the Missions
• 1719 – War breaks out between Spain and France
• French soldiers seize Spanish mission near
Nacogdoches
• Mission priest exaggerates size of invasion and
causes a panic of Spanish families
• Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo heads to East
Texas with 500 soldiers-settlers, thousands of
horses and mules, and large herds of sheep and
cattle
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Aguayo Founds Two Cities
• Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes
established in Louisiana – made unofficial
capital of Texas for almost 50 years
• La Bahía del Espíritu Santo created near La
Salle’s old fort (Fort St. Louis)
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An Uneasy Peace
• Aguayo established 9 missions, 2 villages,
and 4 presidios
• 1727 – Spain’s expenses too high
• 3 missions moved to San Antonio
• Boundary between Spain and France Texas
– Arroyo Hondo – river between Los Adaes and
Natchitoches (Louisiana)
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Plains People Resent Missions
• East Texas Native Americans not interested and
left missionaries alone
• Plains culture resent invasion of hunting grounds
– Apaches raided San Antonio
– Comanches fought invaders and took Spanish horses
• San Xavier missions established and abandoned
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Apache raids
Smallpox and measles
Drought
Tonkawas left
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San Sabá Mission Fails
• 1757 – mission found in central Texas
• Apaches wanted mission as protection
against Comanches
• Comanches attacks took 30 lives
• Failure due to lack of supplies and people as
well as distance from help
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Mission Settlements
Building Communities
Chapter 5 Section3
15
Life in the Missions
• Teach Native Americans the Spanish way of life
• Sometimes force was used
• Native Americans
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Kept busy from dawn to dusk
Started each day with prayers
Children attended school
Women wove cloth, molded pottery, & cooked
Men farmed, learned carpentry, or blacksmithing
• Most Native Americans refused to stay at the
missions
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Soldiers Face Hardships
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Isolated and poorly equipped
Difficult and dangerous duties
Protect the mission and nearby settlements
Maintain control over the Native Americans
Scout countryside for intruders
Military families brought to missions
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Important Settlements in Spanish
Texas
• San Antonio
– Largest settlement
– Only authorized settlement with a voice in the
government
– Elected an ayuntamiento (city council) and an
alcalde (chief official)
• Los Adaes
• Nacogdoches
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Living in Spanish Texas
• Mainly farmers – irrigated fields through an
elaborate system of canals
• Ranchers
• Shopkeepers, barbers, tax collectors,
servants, tailors, blacksmiths
• Population – Spaniards, Native Americans,
Mestizos (mixture of Spanish and Native
American)
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A Tejano Heritage Takes Shape
• Tejano – person of Mexican heritage who
considers Texas his/her home
• Population
• Religion
• Language
• Customs today
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