Missions and Presidios

Mission- a settlement set up in Indian territory by friars Goal of missions was to transform Native Americans into Christians and loyal Spanish subjects Believed process would take 10yrs Hoped that mission by mission that Texas would become Spanish Presidio- forts that protected a mission

Missions in Texas Corpus Christi de la Ysleta San Francisco de los Tejas Santisimo Nombre de Maria San Antonio de Valero La Bahia Nacogdoches Santa Cruz de San Saba

Corpus Christi de la Ysleta Built in 1682 among the Tigua people Set up near present day El Paso Rebuilt several times in 1740 & 1829(floods) and in 1907 (fire)

San Francisco de los Tejas and Santisimo Nombre de Maria Alonso de Leon and Father Damian Massanet establish 1 st mission in East Texas in nd mission was Nombre de Maria also in 1690 Hasinai people who were a group of Caddo Indians were in area of mission

Never took to the teachings of the friars Spanish diseases killed many and floods destroyed their crops Indians blamed these occurences on the Spanish and plotted to kill them Spanish destroy mission and head west Come back to East Texas in 1716 and establish a mission at Nacogdoches

San Antonio de Valero Established in 1718 Good halfway point between Rio Grande and East Texas Would later be known as the Alamo

La Bahia Established in 1722 Spanish attempt to regain control of East Texas Moved twice, finally settling at Goliad

Santa Cruz de San Saba Established in 1757 and built for Lipan Apaches Apaches agreed to convert to Christianity if Spain protected them from Comanches Was actually located in Comanche lands Apaches hoped to start a war b/w the Spanish and Comanches Was burned down in 1758 by 2,000 Comanche, Wichita, and Tonkawas