When this lesson is complete the students will understand why the Spanish started the mission/presidio system as well as the sequencing of how and why they were built. To complete this lesson, students will label a blank map with the locations of important missions, forts and towns from the lecture.
Created by Brenda Beaven, December 2007
The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history. The student is expected to:
§113.23. Social Studies, Grade 7. (b)(1)(A,B,C)
The student understands how individuals, events, and issues prior to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to identify important individuals, events, and issues related to European exploration and colonization of Texas, including the establishment of Catholic missions.
§113.23. Social Studies, Grade 7. (b)(2)(B)
(Begin by giving the students the background on why the mission system started in Texas.)
Spain had no interest in Texas. The explorers found no gold and no silver (no oro y no plata) in Texas. They did try to find it between 1519 and 1598 but after much disappointment, they gave up. After all, they had great success with Cortes in Mexico and Pizarro in Peru. Spain was too busy counting their gold to worry about Texas until …THE FRENCH SHOWED UP!
(This is where I do my best French accent and pretend to be Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.)
In 1682 Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed all the land along the Mississippi River for France in spite of – or because of – the Spanish claim by Hernando de Soto (prior learning) in 1540. Although previously “owned” by the “indolent” Spanish who had never settled it, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle – the most famous French explorer – claimed the land that drained into the Mississippi River for France and named it after (you’re going to love this) Louis XIII and his lovely wife Ana – Louis i ana. After making his way to the mouth of the Mississippi, La Salle returned to France with the idea of returning to the same location with French colonists. In 1685, with four ships and about 300 settlers, La Salle arrived on the Texas coast at Matagorda Bay in an attempt to establish that French settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi River - a slight miss. Nevertheless, either location was a direct challenge to the Spanish. The French built a stockade with assorted buildings on Garcitas Creek and named it Fort St. Louis in honor of the current King of France, Louis XIV. Within two years most of the colonists were dead. Leaving behind the sick, the women, and the children, La Salle took his able-bodied men to find the Mississippi River to go for help. On this forced march, some of La Salle’s men mutinied, shot La Salle, and left his body to the wild animals. Some men made it to Canada and searches were started along the coast of Texas but Fort St. Louis was never found by the French. It would not have mattered since shortly after La Salle’s departure, the Karankawas paid the French a visit. The men were hatcheted and the women and children carried off.
REMEMBER – YOU MAY NOT WANT TEXAS BUT YOU SURELY DON’T WANT THE FRENCH TO HAVE IT
Even as La Salle was landing at Matagorda Bay, the Spanish were discussing the French claims to land that the Spanish considered their own. The French in Texas would not be tolerated. Don Alonso de Leon, the Governor of Coahuila, may not have had any interest in Texas before, but with the arrival of the French that had changed. In 1688 de Leon with about 100 military and a few priests marched along the Texas coast. On his fourth trip inland, the fort was found but had been destroyed by the Karankawas. That alone did not mean that all of the French were gone. Don Alonso de Leon ordered the French fort burned to the ground. The Spanish expedition continued their search into east Texas where several survivors were found.
THE MISSION BEGINS
In 1690 the Spanish lay claim to Texas by starting the first mission in east Texas, San Francisco de Los Tejas. De Leon’s expedition, with 100 men and several priests led by Father Damian Massanet, built a series of small missions to establish ownership of the land and also to convert the Caddo Indians to the Roman Catholic faith. By 1692 the missions were failing. The natives were not interested in giving up their way of life. They also blamed the Spanish for crop failures and diseases which were spreading through their tribes. The priests needed the support of more supplies and a military presence to protect them from Indian uprisings. The good news was that the Spanish found no more evidence of the French and the priests believed that the Caddos could be converted to the Catholic faith if given enough time. Even though the missionaries left, Father Francisco Hidalgo never forgot about his work in East Texas.
Twenty years will pass with little Spanish interest in Texas until, guess who starts to show an interest in the general area again. Right – the French!
For several years Father Francisco Hidalgo tried to get the Spanish to allow him to return to the Caddo area, but the answer was “no”. Since the Spanish showed no interest, Father Hidalgo sent a letter to the French in New Orleans expressing his desire to have help in returning to east Texas. Governor Cadillac responded and in 1714 sent St. Denis to the Mission San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande. At first the Spanish were aghast that the French had come to Texas especially with a personal invitation. St Denis not only befriended the Spanish but he also married Commander Domingo Ramon’s granddaughter. He also convinced the Spanish government that the French had no real interest in Texas. Even though the Spanish believed him, they took no chances and 65 other military, settlers, and priests accompanied the Frenchman. By 1716 San Francisco de los Tejas was reopened along with five other missions and a presidio (Spanish fort) for protection and ownership of the land. The Spanish solved the other problem of keeping the missions supplied with needed materials by opening the San Antonio missions which were a halfway point between east Texas and the missions on the Rio Grande. The missions were connected by several roads and El Camino Real (the Royal Highway). This time the Spanish occupation was permanent stretching from the Sabine River to the Rio Grande.
* Other events occur such as the Chicken War, San Saba, San Miquel de Aquayo expedition, and the establishment of Los Adaes as the capital of Texas (now in Louisiana) that show the ebb and flow of the mission system in Texas, but Spain was here to stay.
After students label the map, they will number off to eight and do additional research about the mission, fort, Indians, and/or Priests. They will work together as a group and find a way to present the results of their research to the class.
Map of Spanish Texas, 1805
Handbook of Texas Online
Computer Lab Day
Textbook
