West Texas Missions
1. 1598 Spain decided to establish a colony in their
northern territories.
2. Don Juan de Onate set out with 400 men,
families, priests, and livestock settled in New
Mexico.
3. In 1682, the Spaniards established the first Texas
missions of Corpus Christi de Ysleta in present-day
El Paso.
West Texas Missions
4. The purpose of the mission was to spread
Christianity to the Jumanos and other Native
Americans in the area and to make a claim on the
region.
5. The mission was successful and Spain decided to
build more in the area.
West Texas Missions
Corpus Christi de Ysleta
1. Built in 1682.
2. First mission in Texas
3. Built among the Tigua Indians near presentday El Paso
Jose de Escandon (1700-1770)
1. In the 1740’s the viceroy of New Spain chose
Escandon to lead an expedition to continue
expansion in the northern frontier (Texas).
2. In 1748, Escanondon set out with 3000 settlers,
soldiers, and priests to settle the land between the
Rio Grande and the Nueces River.
3. 15 missions were established in this area, La Bahia
was relocated to present day Goliad, and many
towns were established through out Nuevo
Santander (present-day Larado)
4. Known as “Father of the Lower Rio Grande Valley”
West Texas Problems/Solutions
1. Spain continued to build missions in western Texas
but the war-like Indians continued to cause
problems for the Spanish
2. Most Indian groups did not want to participate in
mission life, but Comanche raids were too great
threat for many of the Indians in western Texas.
3. Groups like the Tonkawa and other smaller groups
were no match for the Comanche and they needed
protection.
4. Missions provided protection for the smaller
groups.
East Texas Missions
1. After the Spanish found the remains of French
Fort St. Louis, Spain sent several priests and 100
soldiers along the Neches River to establish
missions
2. Mission San Francisco de los Tejas and Santisimo
Nombre de Maria were built in East Texas.
3. Mission Santa Maria was abandoned due to the
priest becoming ill and dying.
4. Spaniards believed that the friendliness of the
Caddoes and their trade network would allow
the mission to survive and the Catholic religion
to spread among the native groups
Circle the area on YOUR map
EAST TEXAS MISSIONS
Nuestro San Francisco de los Tejas
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1690
First mission in East Texas
Located among the Caddo
Near present-day Weches, TX (Crockett)
Later abandoned and destroyed
East Texas Problems
1. 1691 problems included crop failures,
drought, and Native American deaths due to
disease, and lack of interest by the Natives to
convert to the Catholic religion
2. Spain decided to abandon the east Texas
missions due to cost to maintain, French
threat was gone, and all of the serious
problems
East Texas Missions II
1. After 20 years, the Spanish returned to East
Texas due to the French threat.
2. In 1699, the French began building trading posts
in Louisiana Territory, way too close for Spain.
3. Spain decided to reopen the east Texas missions.
4. The missions once again were not successful.
5. The east Texas Indians saw no benefit to having
access to the mission and the French were too
great a threat to Spain in east Texas.
Father Massenet
1. Wrote a report to establish a claim in East Texas
with missions
2. Given permission to colonize the “land of the
Tejas” with several priests and soldiers along the
Neches River
3. Built the first mission in East Texas with the
Nabedache Indians (Caddo)
4. Massenet returned to Mexico City to encourage
more missions to be built in Texas But decided to
close the missions due to all the problems
Father Francisco Hidalgo (1659-1726)
1. In 1699, he tried to reestablish the East Texas
missions.
2. He was worried his flock and asked the French
priests to check on the Native Americans
3. He was dedicated to the Indians in East Texas
4. When the Spanish found out about the French,
Hidalgo was given permission to reestablish the
missions among the Caddoes
5. He stayed at San Francisco de los Tejas until it
was abandoned
San Miguel de los Linares de los Adaes
Los Adaes
1. 1717
2. 15 miles from French Settlement of
Natchitoches
3. Spanish named Los Adaes the capital of the
province of Texas
4. Site of “Chicken War”
East Texas III
1. Natives did not see the benefit to the mission
life
2. French were threatening the Spanish land
claim
3. Spanish decided to try one more time to
build successful missions
4. Settle San Antonio (1/2 point between East
Texas and the Rio Grande)
5. Bring in settlers from the Canary Islands
San Antonio
1. Spain’s expansion into Texas was a constant
struggle
2. Marques de Rubi wrote a report to the King of
Spain that France was no longer a threat due to
Spain controlling Louisiana
3. He recommended that the eastern and western
missions needed to be closed and moved to San
Antonio.
4. San Antonio was the new capital of the Texas
area and an alliance would be needed to be
made with the Comanches
Circle the area on YOUR map
EAST TEXAS MISSIONS
San Antonio II
1. The recommendations were adopted, but were
not easy to carry out
2. Settlers around the missions to be closed were
very upset about moving.
3. Some settlers decided to stay in East Texas. They
established the town of Nacogdoches.
4. In western Texas, an alliance was made with the
Comanches and a peace agreement was made
with the Apaches.
5. The El Paso Missions continued to be successful
even though there was less support and money
San Antonio III
1. San Antonio area, the missions, presidios, and
settlements grew and flourished.
2. They were self-sufficient and stable
communities
3. Spain opened the area to Spanish colonist who
wanted to relocate.
4. Large ranches, small farms, and businesses were
founded around the mission communities.
5. 1731, Canary Islanders helped establish the civil
settlement of San Antonio de Bexar and La Bahia
Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus (1657-1726)
1. Founded San Jose Mission y San Miguel de
Aguayo due to San Antonio growing as a
community
2. San Jose is one of five major missions in San
Antonio
3. They still exist today, but as churches
Missions System in San Antonio
1. San Antonio was the home of five of the 36
missions founded in Texas between the years of
1680-1793
2. Their main goal was to “Christianize” the
Coahueltican Indians and make them Spanish
citizens
3. They had 10 years by Spanish law to convert, but
there were many obstacles along the way
4. Most successful mission
5. Most missions stayed open until 1830 and still
operate as churches today (except the Alamo)
Mission Buildings
1. The mission floor plan was built like a fortress.
2. There was a stone wall that surrounded a center
plaza (open air public area)
3. Along the wall were private rooms, offices, and
workshops.
4. The convent, monastery, or friary was home to
the friars and priests
5. At the main gate, there was a tower that was
equipped with guns, ammunition, and cannons
and at each corner there was a swivel gun
Mission Plans
1. Once a mission was built, planting began and
irrigation ditches (acequias) were dug
channeling water throughout the mission
2. The granary (storehouse for grain) was built next and
then shelters for the Indians
3. The church was the last to be built because of the
time it took to make the sculptures, ornaments,
woodwork, and ironwork
4. The church was the most important and beautiful
building in the mission.
5. Over time, other areas were constructed for the
Indians and the few families of the soldiers to live in
the mission
Mission Government
1. Based on the Spanish system
2. Each mission was independent of one another
with limited powers
3. Native Americans who were trusted by the
mission leaders of special abilities were chosen to
represent the different tribes
4. Indians had their own jail and could determine
punishment
Mission Government
5. There were Indians who instructed other Indians
who worked in the fields
6. Indians did not always have this much freedom,
and were expected to stay in the mission, learn
Spanish language, and the Catholic religion and to
do whatever the soldiers and priests instructed
them to do
Mission Problems
1. Indians would run away
2. Soldiers and priest would try to bring them back
3. Other times, the Indians would return on their
own
4. They returned because of hunger and the threat
of Comanches and apaches
5. Most of the Indians living in the missions were
smaller and weaker tribes
Mission Successes
1. Spain allowed the missions to stay open as
churches because of some of the success
they had “Christianizing” the Indians
2. Missions Indians were very useful in teaching
other the Spanish language and as scouts
when there were conflicts with the Apache
and the Comanche
Nuestra Senora de la Purisma
Concepction
1. Originally in East Texas along the Angelina
River
2. Established in 1716 to serve the Ainais
Indians
3. Threat of French encroachment (intrusion)
caused it to relocate
4. Moved and reopened in 1731 at current
location in San Antonio
San Antonio de Valero
1. 1718
2. Located in present-day San Antonio
3. Halfway point between Rio Grande and East
Texas
4. Mission chapel is known as the Alamo
San Antonio de Bexar
1. 1718
2. Presidio built across the San Antonio River
3. Village sprang up nearby named San
Fernando de Bexar that later became know
as downtown San Antonio
Santa Cruz de San Saba
1.
2.
3.
4.
1757
Built for the Lipan Apaches
LOCATED in Comanche Territory
Lipan Apaches had hoped to start a war
between the Spaniards and the Comanches
(idea was to get rid of both)
5. Mission was destroyed but
presidio remained for a few years.