Spanish Settlements Ch. 5 Section 2

Missions Established in East Texas In 1716, guided by St. Denis, a large Spanish force led Spanish families to the site of San Francisco de los Tejas. It was the first time the Spanish families came to settle in East Texas.

San Antonio Is Founded In 1718 the Spanish built a fort-town, Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, on one side of the San Antonio River. Many soldiers brought families to settle permanently. Across the river, Father Antonio de San Buenaventura Olivares founded Mission San Antonio de Valero.

Aguayo Defends the Missions In 1719 war broke out between Spain and France. French soldiers seized the Spanish mission near Nacogdoches. In the spring of 1721, Aguayo led a large group of soldiers and settlers into East Texas and reestablished the abandoned missions.

Aguayo Starts Two Cities Aguayo built a large presidio named Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes. One hundred soldiers and their families started a village nearby. Spanish authorities made Los Adaes the capital of Texas in 1722, and it remained the capital for 50 years.

Aguayo Starts Two Cities Aguayo established a mission and presidio near the ruins of La Salle’s fort. The mission and presidio later were moved to the San Antonio River, near present-day Goliad. The Spanish named the settlement La Bahía.

An Uneasy Peace The presidio on the Angelina River was abandoned in 1727 to reduce expenses and the number of soldiers at Los Adaes was reduced. The Spanish and French peacefully accepted a small stream between Los Adaes and Natchitoches called the Arroyo Hondo as a boundary.

Plains People Resent Missions Native American people of the Plains, however, resented missionaries who were seen as intruders on their hunting grounds. Apaches regularly raided San Antonio, and Comanches fought the invaders.

Plains People Resent Missions From 1748 - 1751 Catholic Missionaries founded three missions along the San Gabriel River near present-day Rockdale. The missionaries suffered many misfortunes, and the Spanish friars abandoned one mission and moved the other two closer to San Antonio.

San Sabá Mission Fails In 1757 missionaries founded Mission San Sabá near Menard, and soldiers built a presidio a few miles away. The mission system failed to Christianize the Plains people. Native Americans attacked Mission San Saba, killing the priests and destroying the mission