The Mission System
Three Goals of Spanish Mission System



Represent Spanish government
Convert American Indians there to Catholicism
Develop settlements there
Four Types of Spanish Settlements




mission – religious communities established by Spanish Catholics.
presidios – military bases in colonial America
ranchos – ranches towns/settlements

The Mission System

Spain Looks to Texas
As part of the settlement of New
Spain, friars in 1682 founded the first permanent settlement of
Europeans in Texas.
It was located near present-day El
Paso for the Tigua Indians and was called Corpus Christi de la Ysleta.

Spain Looks to Texas

Spain Looks to Texas
However, most Spanish activity during the 1690s was in the Eastern part of Texas, near French
Louisiana.
This was mainly because of La
Salle’s establishment of Fort St. Louis in Texas. Spanish officials were afraid that it would produce French settlement throughout Texas because of this Spain made a stronger effort to colonize Texas.
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

Spanish Missions in East Texas
The first Spanish mission in East
Texas was dedicated on June 1,
1690.
It was a crude log building and contained only a few simple furnishings. It was named San
Francisco de los Tejas and was located a few miles west of the
Neches River.

Spanish Missions in East Texas
Despite the promising beginning, troubles soon struck San Francisco de los Tejas.



Drought ruined the crops
Disease killed many of the Native Americans and one friar
The Tejas Indians rejected the Catholic religion and resented Spanish attempts to change the way to live.
Because of this and the realization that France was not a threat, officials in Mexico decided the mission must be abandoned.

Spanish Missions in East Texas
Although the failure of the mission was a disappointment, its mere presence strengthened Spain’s claim to Texas. Also, it made the Spanish realize that they needed presidios and Spanish families to settle the land.
From 1693 to 1714, Spain made no effort to settle Texas, but settlements along the Rio Grande flourished.

France Threatens Again
Several years after La Salle’s venture in the
1680s, France made another attempt to claim the lands drained by the Mississippi.
Unlike the Spanish, the French were not interested in taking territory of converting the
Native Americans to Catholicism. The French were more interested in making profit trading blankets, guns, and wine for furs and skins.
The French also hoped to trade with Spanish merchants in Mexico, but Spanish law prohibited foreigners from trading with the colonies of New Spain.

France Threatens Again
Without the knowledge of Spanish officials,
Father Francisco Hidalgo wrote a letter to the
French governor of Louisiana, asking them to establish a mission among the Tejas.
The French governor appointed Louis de St.
Denis to negotiate with Spanish officials on the Rio Grande. St. Denis arrived at San
Juan Bautista in July 1714 and the presidio’s commander arrested him.
St. Denis insisted that France had no plans to occupy East Texas. The Spanish viceroy did not believe him and ordered new missions to be built in East Texas with Spanish soldiers to protect them.

San Antonio is Founded
Spanish officials saw the need for a settlement between New Spain and the new missions in East Texas because the 500 mile journey from the Rio Grande to East Texas was dangerous. Supplies arrived slowly, if at all.
Spanish officials chose a site on the San
Antonio River as the best place for the new settlement. A friar described it as follows:
“The best site in the world, with good and abundant irrigation water, rich lands for pasture, plentiful building stone, and excellent timber.”

San Antonio is Founded
Presidio San Antonio de Bexar was build on one side of the San Antonio River, was built in
1718. Many soldiers brought their families, began digging irrigation canals for farming, and settled permanently.
Across the river Father Antonio de San
Buenaventura Olivares founded San Antonio de Valero, better known as The Alamo.
San Antonio became the halfway point on the
Texas part of the El Camino Real, or “the Royal
Road”. This road led from the East Texas missions to the southern Rio Grande settlements.
It continued south to Mexico City.

Life in the Mission
Spanish missions were busy centers of activity. The friars worked hard to persuade Native
American people to live close to the missions.
The Indian tribes that inhabited the territory of Texas prior to the coming of Europeans in the 16 th century engaged in a variety of religious practices. Most embraced, however vaguely, the concept of a supreme being. They were not monotheistic, however, believing instead in a variety of supernatural powers, organized in a hierarchy. For agricultural Indians, various ceremonies accompanied planting and harvesting of crops, and nomadic Indians sought the help of spirits before hunting expeditions for game.
Spanish missionaries hoped to teach the Native Americans the Spanish way of life. Gifts were sometimes offered to make this life seem more attractive and sometimes the Spaniards used force to get the Native Americans to settle near the mission.

Life in the Mission
The Native Americans who accepted mission life were kept busy from dusk to dawn.





Started with prayers
After breakfast, the children attended school, including classes in religion.
The women wove cloth, molded pottery, or cooked.
The men worked in the fields or learned carpentry or blacksmithing.
After supper came more religion classes for adults followed by prayers.

Life in the Mission
The European viewpoint of the activity of Native Americans in missions:
“These Indians are today well instructed and civilized and know how to work very well at their mechanical trades and are proficient in some of the arts. They speak Spanish perfectly, with the exception of those who are daily brought in…they go about well dress, are abundantly fed.”

Life in the Mission
Although some Native Americans adapted to mission life, most refused to stay at the missions. They were not accustomed to the strictly regulated lifestyle.
Many did not want to become farmers or blacksmiths or carpenters. Moreover,
Native Americans found it difficult to leave behind a way of life that had served them well for centuries.

End of Spanish Rule
In 1763 France lost the Seven Years’ War
Great Britain gained Canada and all French land east of the Mississippi. While, Spain gained New Orleans and all French land west of the Mississippi.
With France no longer a force in North
America Spanish officials questioned whether the East Texas missions and presidios were needed.
In 1773, the New Spanish governor of Texas, closed the four missions in East Texas and ordered 500 settlers in the area to move to
San Antonio.

Nacogdoches Founded
The leader of the East Texans pleaded for permission for the families to return to their former homes. The Spanish governor of
Texas refused, but did allow some of them to settle along the Trinity River.
They named their town Bucareli after a
Spanish lieutenant general and viceroy.
During the next four years, the colony did well. Then crop failure, a smallpox epidemic, and conflict with the Comanche's forced the colonists to move.
In 1779 without government approval, led the settlers back to East Texas timberlands and built
Nacogdoches.

The United States buys Louisiana
In 1800, Spain was forced to give Louisiana back to France. In 1803, the United
States purchased the Louisiana Territory from
France for about $15 million. The territory doubled the size of the United States.
This caused a controversy between the United
States and Spain about the boundary between Spanish Texas and Louisiana.

The United States insisted that the
American territory extended at least to the Sabine River and possibly included
Texas.

The United States buys Louisiana
In 1819, the United States and Spain signed the Adams-Onis Treaty, settling the boundary dispute.
Spain gave Florida to the United
States and agreed to the Sabine River as the eastern boundary of Texas. In return, the United States gave up all claims to Texas.

Hidalgo Calls for Independence
On September 16, 1810, Father Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla issued a call for freedom from Spain.
Many Mexicans were unhappy with Spanish rule. The best jobs in Mexico were reserved for men sent from Spain as administrators.
Spain increased Mexican taxes to help pay for wars in Europe. This and other acts greatly increased Mexican unhappiness.
For a time, Hidalgo’s forces did well in battle, but eventually he was captured and executed. This did not end Mexico’s fight for independence.

Hidalgo Calls for Independence
“Mexicans, long live Mexico! Long live Our Lady of
Guadalupe! Long live Fernando VII! Down with the bad government!”
-Father Hidalgo (Grito de Dolores)

Mexico Wins Independence
In September 1821 Mexico won independence from Spain .
Causes




Wide economic and social divisions between the rich and poor in New Spain
Political corruption in Spain
Examples of other revolutions, including the American Revolution and those occurring in Latin America.
Father Hidalgo’s Grito de Dolores
Effects




Creation of Mexico as an independent republic
Economic ruin and loss of life in Mexico, including Texas
Political instability in Mexico
Attempts to increase the Texas population with immigrants from Europe and the
United States