Ch 4 Sect 2 Notes-#9 Life in the Missions
Texas History
Fort Burrows
4.2 - Life in the Missions
READpgs 86 – 91
Main Idea:
Missionaries were unable to bring about widespread Spanish settlements in Texas.
Vocabulary:
catechism –a set of questions and answers about Catholic beliefs
epidemic – the rapid spread of diseases in a short time
cede – to give up formal ownership of something
Tejano ( teh-HAH-noh) – a person of Hispanic descent born and living in Texas
( Spanish for ‘Texan’ )
Setting the Scene:
Missionaries regarded the Indians as children that needed supervision. The Indians had very different views. The key purpose was to convert Indians to Christianity.
Daily Life
Recruiting Native Americans - To have a mission, friars needed Native Americans to work live there.
Most Indians who lived in the missions joined by choice
Friars sometimes offered gifts to draw in the Indians
Native Americans in the missions studied the catechism,many were converted and baptized
The Spanish appointed some mission Indians to be local chiefs; they carried out the orders of the missionaries
Indians were not allowed to use guns
They could vote in local elections and hold public office
Some came for a steady supply of food or for protection from their enemies
They were taught many skills and trades
∞farming – grew corn, beans, watermelon, pumpkins, etc.
∞ranching – raised goats, sheep, cattle
∞skilled labor – made soap, bricks, cotton goods, masons & stone carvers
Missionaries and soldiers brought ranching and cattle to Texas; ‘longhorn’ in 1493
The Indians were controlled once they entered the mission, punished for
bad behavior or not working
Those that ran off were captured and returned
Soldiers’ Lives -Presidio soldiers had many duties:
Guard the mission livestock
Carry messages
Protect supply wagon trains
Keep order in the missions
Protect the mission from hostile Indians
Problems with the Mission-Presidio System
Disease - Indians had no defense against Spanish diseases. Epidemics killed thousands of Native Americans in Texas
Many Indians rejected the teachings and life in the missions
∞With fewer Indians, less work would get done
Many joined the missions for protection against their enemies or for food, not because they wanted to follow the Christian faith
Texas missions were often attacked by the Comanches
Soldiers were underpaidand poorly treated by officers
The friars and the soldiers often argued over how to treat the Indians
Decline of the Mission – Presidio System
When France lost the Seven Years’ War against Great Britain (1763), it ceded the territory of Louisiana to Spain. (Rather than let the huge territory of Louisiana go to the English). ( End of French threat )
Spain sent Marqués de Rubí to Texas in 1767 to review its colonies
Rubí reported that Spanish power was spread too thin in Texas to be effective
On the basis of that report, Spain closed most of the missions presidios in Texas
By the 1770s, the people of Spanish Tejas was told to move to 1 of 3 areas;
San Antonio( the Alamo) orGoliad ( la Bahía ) or the capital of Spanish Tejas Natchitoches ( los Adaes )
Spanish settlers were directed to move to those outposts for their protection
Legacy of the Missions and Presidios
Parts of the Spanish culture took root in Texas,the unique blend of cultures found in Texas is termed Tejano
The Spanish introduced the ranching industry to Texas
Also the vaquero (bah-KEH-roh), Spanish for cowboy, broncos, and the lasso
Many places in Texas received Spanish names that are still in use today,
Every major river in Texas, except Canadian & Red River, has a Spanish name
Rio Grande, Sabine, Trinity, Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, Nueces, and Pecos
The Spanish outposts of San Antonio and La Bahía, along with the town of Nacogdoches, remained major Spanish settlements in Texas
1.Why did Native Americans join the missions?
A. they wanted a steady food supply and protection from their enemies
B. they wanted to feel closer to God
C. they had no other choice
D. they wanted to fit in with their new Anglo neighbors
2.Why did France cede Louisiana to Spain?
A. to improve relations between the two countries
B. to keep Spain from attacking their forts
C. it was a trade for San Antonio.
D. to keep it from falling into British hands
3. What was The Seven Years War known as in America ? ______
4. Why did the mission-presidio system decline ?______
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