Texas History
Fort Burrows
4.1 1682 – 1821 Missions and Presidios
READ pgs 78 – 85
“ In the 1500s, Spain was the dominate European power in the Americas. A growing French presence
in the Louisiana Territory, however, made the Spanish nervous about the French intentions in Texas.
The Spanish government sought to strengthen its claim on Texas by building missions and presidios.
Despite their efforts, the Spaniards never gained a strong hold on this region. Native Americans
continued to outnumber them.”
Timeline:
1682 – Spanish build mission ‘Corpus Christi de la Ysleta’ [El Paso]
1690 – Missions ‘ El Santisimo Nombre’ and San Francisco de los Tejas
[Houston County]
1716 – mission ‘Los Adaes’ ( los ah-DAH-ehs ) [Nacogoches]
1718 – mission San Antonio de Valero [San Antonio – the Alamo]
1719 – Spain & France war
1722 – mission ‘La Bahia’ (the bay) [Goliad and Matagorda Bay]
1757 – mission ‘Santa Cruz de San Saba [San Saba]
1762 – France cedes Louisiana to Spain
1776 – American Revolution
1803 – Louisiana Purchase
1821 – Mexico gains Independence from Spain
Main Idea: The Spanish built missions and presidios in an effort to control Texas.
SPAIN BUILDS MISSIONS
1) Spread Christianity
2) Teach Spanish Customs to
3) Build new settlements
(Roman-Catholic)
the Native American
( New Spaniards)
Glory & Settlers !!!!
Vocabulary:
mission - settlement set up in Indian Territory, ran by Spanish friars, and paid for
by the Spanish government
friar – members of the clergy (preachers) that taught Christianity to the Indians
presidio – Forts built around missions, which offered safety from un-friendly
Indians
NOTE: Presidio, Texas is the oldest continuously cultivated area in Texas. On the Rio Grande about
250 miles from Odessa, South of Interstate 20. It has been inhabited since 1500 BC. Daddy de Vaca
came through in 1535 and placed a ‘cross’ on the mountain side. He called the area La Junta de las
Cruces. Today, it is a small community of about 4,100 people. Their most current highlight was
wireless internet Wi-Fi in September 2006.
Setting the Scene – When Spanish officials heard about the fort built by a Frenchman named La
Salle, they sent expeditions to destroy it. Alfonso de Leon found the remains of the fort. The Spanish
found no French speaking people living at the fort. However, finding the fort made the Spanish very
nervous about French ambitions in Texas.
Cause and Effect of Mexican Mission-Presidio System in Texas
Cause
Effect
 The Spanish wanted to

Indians became the main labor source and could
convert Indians to
The
be punished for not working
Christianity
mission
Indians were protected from their enemies
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Texas History
Fort Burrows

The Spanish wanted to
presidio

Indians had a steady food supply
teach Indians the
system

Spanish communities grew around the missions
Spanish way of life
was

Indians became sick with European diseases,
 Spain wanted Spanish
born
causing entire tribes to die out
culture to spread in

Spanish culture continued to influence Texas
Texas
after Spain closed the missions
The Mission-Presidio System
 The goal of the mission was to transform Native Americans into Christians and loyal Spanish
subjects
 Friars ran the missions
 Invited Indians to live at the missions to teach them Christianity
 Taught them their language and farming methods in hopes the Indians would adopt the
Spanish way of life
 It helped control the Native Americans in and around the mission
 Strengthened Spain’s hold on Texas by building settlements
 Presidios were Forts that were built near the Missions for protection
The 1st Missions in Texas
 1st - 1682, Corpus Christi de la Ysleta Mission
 Built among the Tigua Indians, near present day El Paso (nowhere near the present day Corpus
Christi)
 2nd - 1690, San Francisco de los Tejas Mission
 Alonso de León and Father Damian Massanet established the first mission in East Texas
 East Texas, Caddo Indians said Tay-yas, ( friend ), so the Spanish called it Tejas
 3rd - Footnote:1690, El Santisimo Nombre de Maria Mission
 It was established shortly after de los Tejas, but not much more is known about this mission
 This mission was set up to keep the French ( La Salle ) from claiming this area
 The Caddo people never fully took to the teachings of the friars
 The Spanish soldiers had contempt ( they thought the Indians were low-class )
 The Indians became sick from Spanish disease
 A series of floods destroyed the Indians crops and they BLAMED the Spanish
 The Spanish abandoned these missions – they buried the mission bell, burned the mission down,
and headed West
Missions in the 1700s
 A Frenchman named Saint Denis (da KNEE), worked with a Spanish missionary, Father
Hidalgo, to help build more missions among the Caddo Indians in East Texas
 Saint Denis established 6 missions and 1 presidio in Texas
 4th - 1716, Los Adaes Mission
 It was built in East Texas
 The Spanish made this their capital, the province of Texas
 Here they hoped to keep an eye on French activity
 The French raided this mission in 1719. This was called the Chicken War. This caused the
Spanish to once again abandon the missions of East Texas
 5th - They retreated to San Antonio de Valero ( the Alamo )
 This mission was located halfway between the Rio Grande and East Texas on the El Camino
Real ( Highway from Mexico to East Texas)
 A good stopping point for the Spanish as the traveled in and around Texas
 When the war between Spain and France ended, the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo helped
Spain regain control of East Texas. He rebuilt old missions and founded new ones, including
6th - La Bahía
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Missions in Central Texas
 7th - Santa Cruz San Saba Mission – 1757
 Built for the Apaches in Central Texas
 Spanish missions in Central Texas were often raided by Lipan Apaches, Comanches, Wichitas,
and Tonkawas.
 Reasons to build for the Apaches:
 Raids to kill soldiers and steal the horses and cattle
 Comanche pushed the Lipan Apaches South, Lipan Apaches pushed Spaniards South
 Lipan Apache agree to become Christians if a mission was built to protect them from the
Comanches. ( This was a trick, the Apaches were hoping to start a war between the
Commanches and Spaniards)
 The Spanish built a mission, Santa Cruz de San Sabá, for the Lipans. They did not
realize it was in Comanche territory
 Because the Comanche were enemies with the Apache, they along with Wichitas and
Tonkawas, attacked the mission in 1758. They burned down the mission killing most of
the missionaries
 1718, San Antonio de Valero Mission
 This mission was built halfway between the Rio Grande and East Texas
 The Presidio built near San Antonio de Valero was
San Antonio de Bexar (ba-air)
 Bexar - {Mexican} and – Behar – [Spanish]
 Today San Antonio, Texas is the county seat of Bexar County
1. What is the purpose of a presidio ?
A. to protect settlers’ land rights
C. to provide a place for settlers to trade goods
B. to teach Christianity to local peoples
D. to protect a mission
2. Why did the Lipans want Santa Cruz de San Sabá Mission built on Comanche land?
A. they believed the land truly belonged to the Lipan Apaches
B. they wanted to start a war between the Spanish and the Comanches
C. they wanted to convert the Comanches to Christianity
D. they did not know the land belonged to the Comanches
3. What was the purpose of the mission-presidio system?
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4. How successful was the los Tejas mission in East Texas ?
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5. How did St. Denis help the Spanish mission system grow ?
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