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Learn about the Spanish mission system in the Texas borderlands, which included religious communities, military bases, towns, and ranches. Explore the reasons behind the establishment of these settlements and the challenges they faced. Discover the impact of the French expeditions, such as La Salle's failed settlement, on the Spanish control of Texas.
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SPANISH CONTROL OF THE TEXAS BORDERLANDS To control the Texas borderlands the Spanish built 4 types of settlements: • missions – religious communities • presidios – military bases • towns – small villages with farmers and merchants • ranchos – or ranches
Missions • Developed in response to other countries beginning to settle in the United States. • The Spanish established these missions to protect its borders, and to spread Christianity. • The Spanish built missions near rivers to ensure a good water supply. • Missions included churches, dormitories, workrooms, barns, fields, and gardens. • Missionaries taught the Indians about Catholicism, and taught them how to farm.
Missions • To protect these missions, presidios were established. A presidio is a military base. Soldiers in these bases were generally responsible for protecting several missions. • Settlers homes were built near missions, so that they would be well protected. This led to the formation of towns, for example, San Antonio and El Paso. • Spaniards lived near missions on ranchos, and raised cattle.
New Missions along the Rio Grande • In the late 1600’s, the Spanish began building missions just south of the Rio Grande. • They also built missions among the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. • In 1680, a Pueblo leader named Pope led a revolt, or revolution, against the Spanish. This Pueblo Revolt, drove the Spanish out of New Mexico.
THE SPANISH ESTABLISHED MISSIONS ALONG THE WESTERN RIO GRANDE • To provide a place to live for settlers fleeing the Pueblo Revolt • To use missions as a base to retake New Mexico Pueblo Revolt – revolution led by Pueblo leader Popé against the Spanish in New Mexico
Missions • In 1682, the Spanish built the first mission in Texas, just east of present-day El Paso. This mission was called Corpus Christi de la Ysleta.
To control the borderlands Mission System Goal Goal Goal Four types of Spanish settlements Spanish Settlements on the Frontier Represent Spanish govern-ment there Convert AmericanIndians there toCatholicism Developsettlements there missions, presidios, towns, ranchos
THE FRENCH • Wanted to gain a port for the fur trade • Establish trade with the Spanish colonies • To gain a claim to Texas and challenge Spain’s empire • Expedition ended in disaster
La Salle • 1682 La Salle claimed the area around the Mississippi River for France • Led an expedition in 1684 to establish a settlement near the Mississippi River
La Salle • Difficult journey to Louisiana • Pirates captured one ship • Miss the mouth of the Mississippi River • Landed in Matagorda Bay in Texas • Move inland and built Ft. St. Louis • La Salle started looking around for supplies and found the Rio Grande
Moved inland & built settlement Struggled to Survive Many died Burned by the Karankawas Realized he missed the Mississippi when he found the Rio Grande When heading back to Canada was murdered by his own soldiers. Blamed for the failure of the settlement La Salle Ft. St. Louis
EFFECT OF THE LA SALLE EXPEDITION • Gave France a strong claim to Texas • 2nd Flag to fly over Texas (French) • Spain sent expeditions to find Ft. St. Louis • Spain built missions in East Texas to protect their claim to the land
Spanish in East Texas • Between the years of 1686 and 1687, the Spanish sent six expeditions by land, and five by sea, in an attempt to locate Fort St. Louis. • In 1689, a Spanish governor named Alonso De Leon led another expedition. • A Spanish priest named Father Damian Massanet, accompanied him. • In early 1690, these two men, along with about 100 soldiers, built the first mission in East Texas. It was called San Francisco de los Tejas. • In 1693, after three years of hardships, including drought, disease, and the Indians unwillingness to learn Christianity, the Spaniards burned the mission to the ground and fled to back to Mexico.
Spanish in East Texas • One of the priests of San Francisco de los Tejas, Father Francisco Hidalgo, wanted to return to East Texas. • However, the Spanish refused to build another mission there. • Hidalgo decided to ask the French to build a mission first. • In 1713, the French sent Louis St. Denis to help Father Hidalgo. • Both men returned to Spanish settlements on the Rio Grande with many goods they had received from the Indians for trade. • The Spanish arrested them and sent them to Mexico City. • Because St. Denis told the Spanish that he was sent to help Father Hidalgo, the Spanish became nervous and began to make plans to return to East Texas.
FAILURE OF SPANISH MISSIONS IN EAST TEXAS • Location too remote • Floods, droughts, disease • Internal conflicts • Indians not interested in religious instruction
Group Discussion Directions: Discuss the following: given the hardships endured on La Salle’s journey, • Do you think it was worth it? • Would you do it if you could? Why or why not? • How would your life today be different if La Salle had not voyaged through Texas so many centuries ago?
SAN ANTONIO RIVER AREA • Midpoint between the East Texas missions and the Rio Grande settlement • Mild climate and location by a river • Became the site of the most successful Texas missions and settlements
WAR BETWEEN FRANCE AND SPAIN AFFECTS TEXAS • Led to the Chicken War, which caused Spain to abandon East Texas • Re-established Spanish control of the region • Separated control of French Louisiana and Spanish Texas
WAR BETWEEN FRANCE AND SPAIN AFFECTS TEXAS (continued) Chicken War – conflict between French and Spanish in Texas where the French attacked Mission San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes
Spanish Return to Texas • France and Spain decide to work together for the missions in East Texas • Spain wants to spread Christianity • France wants to trade with the Indians • Spain builds 6 new missions
Problems with Spanish Missions • Missions were over 500 miles away from Spanish settlements • Apaches and Comanches raided the supplies wagons • Difficult to get supplies to
How to solve the problems • Built missions on the San Antonio River as a mid way point • Missions included: De Bexar and Alamo • Built El Camino Reel- only road going from the East missions to Mexico
Successful missions: 1. San Antonio 2. Nacogdoches 3. Los Adaes 4. Goliad • Other missions failed because: 1. disease 2. Indian attacks 3. crop failure- hunger
France and Spain at War Spanish abandon East Texas Effect Effect Effect War and Expansion Chicken War (June 1719) Aguayo Expedition Spanish re-occupation of East Texas Expansion of Spanish settlement (Los Adaes, La Bahía) Agreement to separate control of French Louisiana and Spanish Texas
MISSIONS AND PRESIDIOS • Centered around work and worship • Life was harsh, uncomfortable dwellings, little food • Life for soldiers was dangerous and difficult
Life in a Missions • The day started at dawn with religious services. • Indians’ workday began under the direction of the priests • The day ended with prayers and dinner This process hardly ever worked, because the Indians refused to let go of their old traditions
Life in a Mission • Men tended crops, while the women made pottery, cared for the livestock, wove cloth, and cooked. • The dwellings were uncomfortable. • People sometimes went hungry.
Life in a Presidios • Missions were most likely to succeed, if they had a presidio nearby. • These military outposts were generally made of adobe, stone, and timber. • They had a chapel, barracks for soldiers, storage rooms, and a headquarters building. • The soldiers were not paid very much, and their uniforms were often dirty and ragged.
LIFE IN SPANISH SETTLEMENTS • Diverse populations • Consisted of homes, government buildings and stores • Economy based on farming and ranching • Social activities centered around church and family
The economy of the settlements was mostly based on farming and ranching. • The cattle business helped San Antonio and other towns grow. • Vaqueros, or cowboys, worked on ranches near the settlements. They were well known for their skills at horse riding and cattle handling.
Mission Government. • The ayuntamiento, governing council, enforced royal and local laws. • The alcalde, served as mayor, sheriff, and judge of small cases.
SPANISH CULTURE AND TEXAS TODAY • Spanish heritage present in Texas architecture and celebrations • Apparent in music and food • Spanish influence seen in place-names, towns, or rivers • Some Spanish missions are still active churches. • They laid out the first Texas roads.
Examples of Spanish Influence in Texas Life in Spanish Texas routes of first Texas roads Catholic heritage and missions many Spanish place-names culture (architecture, art, food, language, music) cattle ranching traditions and terms legal traditions