History concepts and major themes

Spanish Missions in California

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the Spanish missions in California between 1700 and 1800. Specifically, it will look at how the missions were founded, the Spanish motivation to found them, and the secularization of the missions.

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS

One of Spain's traditional ways of conquering a new country was to establish missions to bring the "savages" who lived there the "true" faith. Jesuit missionaries traveled with Cortez, and after their domination of Mexico, they established missions across Mexico and into the desert Southwest of what is now the United States. Jose de Galvez came from Spain to serve as the "commandancy-general" of the northern area of Mexico. One of his first aims was to expand Spain's influence into Alta California, to gain more land, more converts to Catholicism, and more world power for Spain. He determined the best way to do this was by adding missions to the already vigorous mission system in Baja California.

At first, the Jesuits founded and manned the missions in Baja, but they were expelled, and Father Jun'pero Serra, a Franciscan monk who was slated to take over from the Jesuits, and man the missions in Baja. Galvez urged him to also add missions in Alta California, which he agreed to do, but not for the same reasons as Galvez. He was hoping to add to his power and gain respect with the royalty in Spain.

Serra had no such motives. Suddenly, however, he volunteered to accompany the expedition and personally launch the new missions. Why? An opportunity for greater service to his God? Or a subconscious desire to escape from the hopelessness of Baja? There is no way to be sure. He has been encysted for so long in the Romance of the Missions that reality is dimmed by the amber carapaces of sentiment (Lavender 38).

Serra has long been known as the father of the missions, and the El Camino Real, the winding path that linked the missions of California together. However, Serra's first task was to command the missions of Baja, rather than expand Spain's influence. "The principal objects, as stated by the laws, were to convert the natives and lift them out of their savagery and barbarism to a state of civilization. These were indeed the primary objects of the missionaries themselves, but they were secondary to other factors in the attention of the royal government" (Chapman 151).

The main thrust of Spain's interest was Monterey, midway up the California coastline, and a central point for Spain to gain influence in Alta California. However, they recognized the need for supply ports along the way. In 1769, four groups landed in San Diego Bay.

Although Monterey remained the main goal, the leaders agreed that the four parties should rendezvous first at San Diego Bay and found a mission and presidio there before pushing farther north. If circumstance allowed, an intermediate station, to be called San Buenaventura, was to be built at some desirable location between the other two (Lavender 39).

San Buenaventura was later built near Santa Barbara in 1782, and San Carlos Borromeo was built near Monterey in 1770. "Over the following seventy years, Franciscan missionaries founded twenty-one mission communities and numerous satellite settlements in Alta California" (Jackson 37). Once built, the missions lured the natives in the area into the mission area with gifts, such as food, tobacco, and clothing. The natives who converted and the missionaries were the only inhabitants of the mission itself, along with a few Spanish soldiers left to guard the area. "No Spaniards other than the missionaries, the mission guard, and an occasional civilian official could stop at the mission or reside there" (Chapman 151). They called this "congregaci n, the resettlement of Indian populations in nucleated settlements" (Jackson 13).

The mission system worked well for Spain, and helped them establish strongholds throughout California. "Once rooted, the missionary holdings spread rapidly. Within half a century each station's pasture lands sprawled across territory once ranged by several tribelets -- a total area, eventually, of some 9 million desirable acres" (Lavender 13). At first, the Indians flocked to the missions, and the system worked well. However, there was resistance by some natives, and the populations in the missions began to decrease. Finally, they became more of a burden to Spain, and they decided to make changes.

In 1834, Mexico implemented the "1834 secularization decree, which removed control of the missions from the hands of the Franciscans" (Jackson 38). This decree meant that the mission lands were no longer associated with any religion. The natives had been leaving the missions at rapid rates, and new converts were putting up resistance. "The Indian population living in the missions rose from 2,403 in three establishments, in 1790, to 5,936 in seven establishments fifteen years later. The mean population of the seven missions was 848 in 1805" (Jackson 39). Spain realized they needed another means to keep the land and economy under their control. Mexico had become independent by this time, and Cortez discussed secularization as early as 1813. There was much anti-Spanish sentiment in Mexico, and the government was expelling many of the missionaries. It made sense to secularize the missions, and give their lands back to the people.