Spanish Rule in Texas: 1682 - 1821

1. Spanish Rule in Texas:1682 - 1821

2. Mission- a settlement in Indian territory

3. The goal of the mission was to transform Native Americans into Christians and loyal Spanish subjects.

4. Friars ran the missions.

5. They invited Indians to live there, then taught them about Christianity and the language and customs of Spain They also taught them Spanish farming methods.

6. Presidio - a fort designed to protect the mission from unfriendly Indians and to help control the Native Americans inside the mission

9. The First Missions Alonso de León and Father Damian Massanet established the first mission in East Texas, called San Francisco de los Tejas.

11. Shortly after, friars started a second mission in East Texas named Santísimo Nombre de María.

13. At first the local Tejas Indians welcomed the Spanish and their missions. But that quickly changed.

14. Mission Failure The Tejas Indians never fully accepted the friars’ teachings.

15. Spanish soldiers treated them with contempt.

16. Many Indians became sick with diseases carried by the Spanish.

17. When floods destroyed the Indians’ crops, they blamed the Spanish and plotted to kill them. The Spanish abandoned the missions and headed west.

18. A Frenchman named St. Denis, worked with a Spanish missionary, Father Hidalgo, to help build more missions among the Caddo Indians in East Texas.

19. They established six missions and a presidio.

20. One of these missions, LosAdaes, became the capital of the province of Texas.

22. In 1719, the French raided LosAdaes in an attack known as the Chicken War.

23. This attack forced the Spanish to abandon their East Texas missions once again.

24. They retreated to San Antonio de Valero, a mission located halfway between the Rio Grande and East Texas.

25. When the war between Spain and France ended, the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo helped Spain regain control of East Texas.

26. He rebuilt old missions and founded new ones, including La Bahía.

27. Spanish missions in Central Texas were often raided by Lipan Apaches, Comanches, Wichitas, and Tonkawas.

28. In 1749, the Lipans and the Spanish made peace.

29. The Lipans agreed to convert to Christianity if the Spanish would protect them from the Comanches.

30. The Spanish built a mission, SantaCruz de San Sabá, for the Lipans.

31. They did not realize it was in Comanche territory.

32. The Lipans had told them to build there, hoping to start a war between the Comanches and the Spanish.

33. In 1758, Comanches, Wichitas, and Tonkawas burned down the mission and killed the missionaries.

34. Recruiting Native Americans Most Indians who lived in the missions joined by choice.

35. Friars sometimes offered gifts to draw in the Indians.

36. Some came for a steady supply of food or for protection from their enemies.

37. The Indians were controlled once they entered the mission.

38. They were punished for bad behavior, and those that ran off were captured and returned.

39. Soldiers’ Lives Presidio soldiers had many duties-

40. Guard the mission livestock

41. Carry messages

42. Protect supply wagon trains

43. Keep order in the missions

44. Protect the mission from hostile Indians

45. Native Americans in the missions studied the catechism, a set of questions and answers about Catholic beliefs.

46. Many were converted and baptized.

47. Native Americans had to work in the missions…

48. In addition to daily chores, they made goods that could be traded

49. The Spanish appointed some mission Indians to be local chiefs.

50. These local chiefs carried out the orders of the missionaries.