SPAIN EXPANDED EFFORTS TO COLONIZE “TEXAS”

TIME PERIOD: LATE 1600 ’S TO EARLY 1700 ’S

REASON:TO STRENGTHEN SPAIN'S CLAIM TO

THE LAND

1691: SPAIN CREATES PROVINCE OF TEXAS, APPOINTS A GOVERNOR

Chapter 5Missions and Settlements in

Texas

Missions in Texas

Why missions?1. to convert Natives to

Christian faith2. to change Native

culture to Spanish ways3. to provide Native

workers to grow crops, build shelters and provide labor

4. to subdue Natives and prevent hostile attacks

West Texas First Mission in Texas

1682: Corpus Christi de la Ysleta (Body of Christ of Ysleta)

Near El Paso

Spain had settlement in New Mexico: Santa Fe 1609

Close to other missions

No French Threat yet!

French claims to land

France claimed all the land drained by the Mississippi River

France focused on the fur tradeFrench trappers and traders lived in the land

that is now the state of Louisiana, and worked with the Caddo in East Texas

La Salle’s settlement called Fort St. Louis: weak claim

Louisiana Map from Lewis and Clark Expedition

Later Map of Louisiana Purchase

French Territory

A. Spain learned of La Salle & Fort St. Louis

1. Alonso de Leon expedition to destroy fort

2. Find no one alive at fort on April 22, 16893. Fort in ruins4. De Leon travelled deeper into East Texas from there with Angelina, a Native guide and interpreter

B. Spanish meet Hasinai

1. They called them the “Tejas Indians” meaning friend

2. Hasanai: tribe of the Caddo3. Father Damian Massanet, Catholic

Church official who was on the De Leon expedition promised to return to the Tejas.

C. First East Texas Mission

1. Father Massanet got permission from the Viceroy to return and found a mission among the Tejas.

2. 1690: Father Massanet, 4 friars and 100 soldiers; was left to Father Francisco Hidalgo

3. Crude log buildings made up the Mission San Francisco de los Texas

San Francisco de los Tejas

Replica of original mission in historical park today.

Area in brown is location of the East Texas Missions

Location not far from Caddo Mounds--- near Alto and Weches

Roads to East Texas

Roads

Most well known road:) El Camino Real, (The King’s Highway: highway markers today call it the Old San Antonio Road. Highway 19 to College Station: OSR

El Camino Real de los Tejas: road to San Francisco de los Tejas

First Tejas Mission Failed

1. Drought ruined crops

2. Disease killed many Indians and one friar

3. Tejas rejected Catholic religion

4. Tejas resented Spanish attempts to change their way of life.

D. Spanish settlements along Rio Grande River

1. Mission San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist) built on west side of Rio Grande in 1699.

2. Known as the “Gateway to Texas” and the “Mother of Texas Missions”

3. Located at crossroads, grew into 3 missions, a presidio and a town.

Mission located near present-day Eagle Pass

Father Francisco Hidalgo

Spanish missionary had been at San Francisco de los Tejas. (Failed E. TX. Mission)

Wanted to return to the Hasanai.

Viceroy ignored his requests.

Devised a plan.

E. France Threatens Again

1. French traders in the Gulf Coast area wanted to trade with Spanish merchants.

2. Spanish law prohibited foreigners from trading with the colonies in New Spain. (Why?)

3. French had no interest in taking territory or converting the Indians

E. France Threatens Again

4. Francisco Hidalgo asked French to set up a mission in East Texas

5. French governor appointed Louis de St. Denis (Denee) to negotiate about this with Spanish officials on the Rio Grande.

6. Sets up a trading post named Natchitoches on the Red River in present-day Louisiana.

7. Captain Diego Ramon was alarmed when the French St. Denis arrived at Mission San Juan Bautista (on the Rio Grande). Why?

8. Ramon arrested St. Denis and sent him to Mexico City to be examined by viceroy to check his motives.

Viceroy thinks French are a Threat!

Although St. Denis insisted France did not want to occupy East Texas, Spanish officials did not believe him.

Viceroy ordered new Spanish missions to be built in East Texas along with soldiers to protect them.

Ironically, St. Denis was sent to guide the Spanish into East Texas, and was allowed to marry Ramon’s step-granddaughter!!!

St. Denis himself must have been very likeable!

Bust of St. Denis

F. Many attempts to colonize 1700 - 1750.

1. 1716: Spanish came back to San Francisco de los Tejas with soldiers and Spanish families. (St. Francis of the Tejas) and built 6 missions in E. TX

2. Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Tejas – presidio to protect the mission

STOP

G. San Antonio is Founded

1. Spanish needed a midway settlement from the Rio Grande settlements to the East Texas missions.

2. Site on San Antonio River chosen: 17183. Known as San Antonio de Bexar---today, San

Antonio is in Bexar County---the name is used today!

Location of San AntonioMap of all Texas Missions

San Antonio de Bexar: Location

San Antonio Missions:most missions in one location

Design of Spanish missions

Coahuiltecan Indians adapted well to mission life. Why?

San Antonio was a series of missions along river.

Missions provided a church for the people.

The church was the focal point of community life. The structure was prominent within the compound. The convento, or living quarters of the missionaries and several lay assistants, was in close proximity to the church building. The cemetery, well used as the result of European diseases, lay adjacent.

Daily life was centered around the church with its summons to worship and prayer, the fields, the workshops, and the classrooms. Conversion was encouraged when living in the missions, and required in order to become Spanish citizens.

Presidio San Antonio de Bexar

Fort: housed the soldiers1718, built by Martin de AlarconSoldiers brought their families and settled permanently.

Why was this presidio a good idea?

What threats do you think the Spanish faced?

San Antonio de Bexar

Building plans of the Fort

H. San Antonio de Valero

1. San Antonio de Valero was a mission.

2. Built in 1718.

3. The mission church became known as the Alamo, and was the site of the fateful battle of the Texas Revolution.

San Antonio Today

MISSION TRAIL

SAN ANTONIO RIVER: RIVER WALK

War of Quadruple Alliance

The War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–1720) was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria (then a State of the Holy Roman Empire), and the Dutch Republic.

I. The Chicken War 1719

1. French attacked Mission San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes

2. Captured a Spanish soldier and looted hen house

3. Hens spooked horse and Frenchman fell; Spanish soldier escaped

4.The result: Viceroy sends Aguayo and 500 soldiers to reestablish abandoned missions and moved Presidio Nuestra Senora de la Dolores further east, closer to the French.

J. Los Adaes

Los Adaes: Gov. Aguayo built a large presidio, Nuestra Senora del Pilar de los Adaes, near Natchitoches1. Built with Franciscan Priest, Antonio Margil de

Jesus

2. 100 soldiers and their families started a village near the fort.

3. French did not like it, but did not protest or attack.

Location of Spanish fort Louisiana Marker today

Los Adaes

Diagram of the fortDiagram of Historic Park

Los Adaes

K. La Bahia 1722

1. Presidio established on top of Ft. St. Louis by Domingo Ramon in 1721

2. Also founded a mission across a creek by Governor Aguayo

3. Was moved inland to present day Goliad by Jose de Escandon in 1749

Aguayo moves on to site of Fort St. Louis: design of original fort

Builds a presidio on the site named La Bahia-later moved and this is the 2nd one.

La Bahia: 2nd fort Aguayo built

La Bahia in the distanceChapel at La Bahia near Goliad today.

La Bahia moved from Fort St. Louis site to present day Goliad due to Karankawa problems

Spanish Cannon BarrelLocation of Goliad, Texas

Presidio La Bahia

Intruders on their hunting grounds

Priest and Friars try to convert them anyway!

Apaches raided San Antonio de Bexar often.

Comanche fought fiercely, valued captured horses!

1748-1751: 3 missions founded along San Gabriel River in Central Texas, near present day Rockdale to serve Tonkawa.

Failed: Apache raids, smallpox, drought, Tonkawas left

Plains Indians Resent Missions

1757: San Saba Mission—bold step

Far from nearest San Antonio

Wanted to convert Apache, who wanted protection from the Comanche.

Apache didn’t take to mission life.

Comanches attacked, moved mission to Nueces River.

Ruins of San Saba Mission

Missions unsuccessful with Plains Indian

Spanish problems:1. Remote location

made it hard to supply and administer the missions.

Plains people too fiercely independent to settle down to mission ways.

Remember: Plains Indians hunted the buffalo and were nomadic!