Alta California was the Last Expansion of Spain’s Empire in North America.

The main reason for the Spanish settlers came to California was to consolidate the Spanish Empire. As usual by that time, the conquer procedures of a region where, take control of the Indians, convert them to Catholicism, and used Indian labor. To accomplish their purpose, a mission system was created. A total of 21 missions was built along the coast line of California, and with them, a nightmare for the American Indians.

The indigenous people of California had existed on the lands as hunters-gathers before the arrival of the Spanish who were the first Europeans to reach this part of the Americas. These settlers who began surveying the area since 1530, helped introduce the mission system around 1697 as part of an effort to set up permanent bases for new arrivals and as a bulwark against other European powers. This establishment caused the natives to transition from their original lifestyle into agrarian farmers to help bring in revenue for the Spanish crown which led to them being exploited economically in the process. To establish order in this new land, the Spaniards used harsh punishments for rooting out defiance within the Indian population. However, eventually the natives would begin to die off in such large quantities that it echoed what else was happening what was happening in the rest of the continent. Overall, the effect on the indigenous population was predominantly negative due to contributing towards loss of culture, experiencing callous treatment at the hands of the Spanish, and forced population decline.

Spanish wanted to colonize some of America, just like the Europeans. Building religious based Missions all throughout California was a way for them to maintain ultimate social, political, and economic control. Spanish explorers arrived on the border of California during the 16th century. The very first Franciscan mission was built in San Diego during 1769. By 1833, twenty two Spanish Missions existed from Southern California to Northern California. Native Americans made up about one-third of those who lived and worked at the Missions. There were an estimated 310,000 Indians living in California during the 16th century. The Spanish provided the Native Americans with the necessities such as food,

Have you learned about missions? One about the missions was that Junipero Serra founded only 9 of the 21 missions founded in California. One of the missions founded by Junipero Serra was Mission Santa Clara De Asis(Wikipedia “Junipero Serra) which is the mission I’m going to inform you about. One of the resources that I used for this paper was “The Missions: California’s Heritage,Mission Santa Clara De Asis” by Mary Null Boulé, published by Merryant Publishers, 1988. Next, I will inform you about the history of this mission and also it’s designs.

The Spanish began their long-term occupation in California in 1769. California and its Spanish Colonization were different from earlier efforts to simultaneously introduce missionaries and colonists in their world conquest schemes. Organized by the driven Franciscan administrator Junipero Serra and military authorities under Gaspar de Portola, they journeyed to San Diego to establish the first of 21 coastal missions.

In the early 1700's, the country of Spain sent many explorers to the western world to claim land and find riches. When California was founded by several Spanish explorers, like Cabrillo, and De Anza, Spain decided to send missionaries to build missions. There are a total of 21 missions built in California. Mission Santa Ines was the 19th mission and was built to share the European God with the Indians and how to eat and dress like Europeans. Father Tapis wanted to make the Indians Christians and

During the early stages of North America, the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and the English colonies contrasted from each other as a result of different resources, religion, and various other factors. In the 17th century, North America was just beginning colonization. In 1588, the Spanish attacked the English but were defeated because the English used different tactics that were swifter. Both the Spanish settlers and English were devoted to their religions. While the English were trying to decide what path of religion to follow, the Spanish had already choses Christianity as their dominant religion. Some Spanish missionaries were founded in California and Texas with the goal to Christianize the natives. The English

Deborah Miranda’s Bad Indians utilizes a unique blend of writing styles to piece together a clearer and more distinct view on the Mission system, Gold Rush, and settlement of California. Through this revolutionary collection of writing, we receive a detailed account of the treatment that California Indians had to endure during the Missionization era and are able to draw our own conclusions in regard to whether the missions were a positive or negative aspect of California history. Although Miranda’s ancestors suffered and survived horrible conditions, she, in my opinion, does not villainize the Mission system, but rather displays the facts as they are, therein allowing us to reach our own conclusions in relations to this history. Because there

The Mission Santa Clara is a historical California site that is laid in the center of the Santa Clara University. In 1777, it established and founded by the Franciscan Order. The mission’s purpose was to be the sister mission to Mission Dolores that is in San Francisco. Due to Mexico withdrawing from the Spanish Empire, the King of Spain and his Viceroy, the ones sponsoring the missions, were no longer in power. The Mexican government didn’t have enough resources and was not interested to maintain and upkeep the distant missions, removing the Spanish Franciscans. With little funds, the mission perished slowly until the ownership of the mission was passed over to the Society of Jesus, also called the Jesuits, in 1851. They made Santa Clara college and today, Mission Santa Clara is used as a student chapel and opened to the public.

Before the missions came to exist the land which is today known as California has already been inhabited by Indigenous people for thousands of years. The land was their treasure and they celebrated in their everyday life while also using its resources. Once Europeans came in the picture the establishment of the missions began. One of these missions was the San Gabriel Arcángel mission. As they were introduced the indigenous people were brought to them with the goal being to Christianize and civilize them.

Father Altimira transferred to San Rafael and later returned to Spain. After the independence from Spain, in 1834, Mexico appointed General Mariano Vallejo in charge of Mission Solano and authorized to turn over the mission to the native Americans but instead he claimed it as his own property. The town of Sonoma was growing so was the need for building materials and the settlers used the tile roofs, timber, and adobe bricks from the mission to use on their own. The original church collapsed in the early 1830s. So, in 1841, General Vallejo replaced the broken church and built a chapel as the people of Sonoma built a bigger church across town. A local businessman bought the mission, in 1881, and used it as a barn, a winery, and a blacksmith shop. The California Landmarks League bought the mission, in 1903, and later a strong earthquake destroyed the mission, in 1906. Around 1909, the restoration started, in 1913, a few years later, they finished the reconstruction of the adobe church and convent and finally completed, in 1926. Some of the famous names involved in the restoration project were: William Randolph Hearst, newspaper publisher, owner of the Hearst Castle and philanthropist, and Architect Julia

Year of 1769 General Jose de Galvez arrived on the shore of San Diego with government official soldiers to contain the Native Americans that resided there. Building the missions were the “central to Spain’s plan, religio-economic institutions operated by orders of Spanish Priests to pacify Indians, convert them to Catholicism, teach them European skills and culture, and transform them into a laboring population.” (The Elusive Eden, 86) With the missions having land around their building, they planned to establish the Native Americans under the Spanish Law by converting them. In turn this will allow them to “civilize” the Native people enough to live on their own in the New California. General Jose’s soldiers began building fortified outposts

After being discovered by Portuguese explorers sailing under the Spanish flag Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo named the area San Miguel (estimated year: 1499-1543 ). It wasn’t until 1602 that San Diego got its namesake. Spain sent mapper Sebastian Vizcaino to map the California coast and

In the 1700s, the Spanish wanted to expand their culture and religion because they wanted their wealth and power to grow. They also wanted to settle where no other Europeans would settle. To keep out the Europeans, they stationed strong military services by these missionaries. From Spain, the Fathers were sent to Northern America, settling in California, to spread Christian practices.

California was a popular state to travel for mining, in addition to agriculture (“Transportation”). Furthermore, sometime around the 1890s, a group of “Mormons from