The Race For Texas
Chapter 6.1 and 6.2
A. Spain Vs France (late 1600s)
1. Both Spain and France were the
strongest two European countries in
Texas, and both wanted to control
Texas.
A. Spain Vs France
2. Spain
controlled all
of western
United States
and France
had the
Louisiana
Territory.
A. Spain Vs France
3. Explorers and Missionaries traveled
through East Texas and befriended the
Caddo Indians.
~Missionaries, or people promoting
the Catholic Church mistook their
friendship as a want to become Catholic
A. Spain Vs France
4. With this new ‘want to be Catholic’, Spain
began to build Missions throughout Texas.
~Mission- A Catholic Church that is
designed to convert people.
5. These Missions help the Spanish to
control the land.
A. Spain Vs France
6.
Friar or Fray Damian Massanet, was the
first French Priest to start converting
Caddos and other natives to the catholic
church.
Fray Damian Massanet
Mission: To colonize East Texas with
several Priests and 100 soldiers.
 Result: many Missions in East Texas failed
due to it’s remote location and lack of
support/protection.

A. Spain Vs France
7. Father Francisco Hidalgo was Spanish, but
worked close with the French priests as
well.
~This caused tensions between the two
countries back home!
A. Missions In Texas
1. Texas becomes an Spanish Province that
is called Tejas once multiple Missions are
created throughout the Gulf Coastal and
Plains Regions.
B. Missions in Texas
2. The French are also interested in
spreading their territory, and build a few
Missions in East Texas.
~French Missionaries are called Friars
C. Conflicts Cross the Atlantic
1. Spanish officials eventually deem the
French as invaders, and decide they
should be removed from their Tejas.
C. Conflicts Cross the Atlantic
2. A war over control
of the Mediterranean
between the Spanish
and French had made
them become bitter
enemies.
~This conflict
carried over to the
Americas
C. Conflicts Cross the Atlantic
3. French soldiers were sent to Texas
Missions, led by General Blondel, to loot
the Spanish Missions.
C. Conflicts Cross the Atlantic
4. When the French were leaving, chickens
spooked Blondel’s horse, making him fall
off.
~Reports of this French invasion spread
through Spanish lands
C. Conflicts Cross the Atlantic
5. This ‘invasion’ became the first European
‘war’ on Texas land.
~Deemed the Chicken War
C. Conflicts Cross the Atlantic
6. With this upset for the French, the
Spanish maintain their hold on Texas and
claim land west of the Sabine as Tejas.
D. Spain Settles Tejas
1. 8 Missions are
reopened in the
Tejas Province of
Spain.
2. The capitol was
created in the
center of Texas,
near modern day
Waco Texas.
Warmup
 Draw
a picture of what
happened in the chicken war.
Be able to tell me about it.
D. Spain Settles Tejas
3. Antonio Margil de Jesus, a Spanish Priest,
sets out to rebuild a mission in central
Texas.
~He takes 55 settlers and provides all
financial support for their move
D. Spain Settles Tejas
4. He calls the new Mission San Antonio de
Valero. It was created in 1718.
~The actual building is the Alamo.
D. Spain Settles Tejas
5. Margil de Jesus wants his mission to
survive, so he also creates a system of
protection (through his personal funding)
6. He builds a nearby Presidio, or fort, with
soldiers to protect against neighboring
aggressive natives.
D. Spain Settles Tejas
7. Jose de Escondon, another priest, also
wants a lasting Mission in SouthTexas.
~Military Commander and Governor of
Nuevo Santander (Laredo)
. Jose de Escondon

He brings 6000 people and expands his
missions to include presidios, missions,
and ranches between the Rio Grande and
Nueces River