The Spanish Settle the Frontier
 By the 1600s, other European countries had claims in
the Americas.
 Spain wanted to make sure their land was protected.
 They established missions and presidios in Texas.
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Missions were religious communities used to convert Indians
to Catholicism and eventually, to develop settlements in the
borderlands.
Also represented the Spanish Government.
Spanish Missions
 Built near rivers for a water supply.
 Included Churches, dormitories, workrooms, barns,
fields, and gardens.
 Indians would live within the mission walls. They were
taught Catholicism and how to farm. They helped build
and maintain the mission.
 Many Indians did not want to live in Missions, though.
They were opposed to the Spanish trying to change their
way of life.
 To protect the missions from attacks, the Spanish built
Presidios near missions.
 A military base. The Soldiers living there were
responsible for protecting several missions in the area.
 When Spanish citizens came to the area, they built
their settlements near the missions and this land
eventually became small towns.
 1826: Corpus Christi de la Isleta
 First Spanish mission in Texas, along the Rio Grande
River, just east of El Paso.
Missions, Continued
La Bahia, Goliad Texas
Spain’s First East Texas
Mission
 In 1690 Alonso de Leon
and Father Damian
Massanet , a few other
priests and 100 soldiers
set off to build a
mission in east Texas.
 They build the Mission
San Francisco de los
Tejas
 A year later the mission was in trouble. Drought
had caused the crops to fail.
 Disease caused the Native Texans to become
hostile & they refused to work in the missions.
They blamed the Spanish for their illness and
droughts.
 The Mission could not survive so in 1693 it was
abandoned.
Mission San Juan Bautista
 1699
 Built five miles from Rio Grande River
 Strategically located near a series of crossings
providing access to Texas.
 Called “Mother of Texas Missions” because it was the
base for expeditions in East Texas.
 It grew into three main missions, a presidio and a town
(not Eagle Pass)
 Missionary Father Francisco Hildago key figure there
The French Return
 By 1700 the French return to Louisiana and developed
trading relationship with Native Americans
 In 1713 Spanish Priest Father Francisco Hidalgo asked
French priests to provide churches to East Texas
Natives
 The French sent Louis de St. Denis to visit Father
Hidalgo. Fr. Hidalgo wanted to convert Natives, and
Dt. Denis wanted to profit from trade with Natives.
 The cooperation of Denis and Hidalgo alarmed
Spanish officials.
 St. Denis was arrested. He assured the Spanish that the
French were not interested in occupying East Texas.
 The Spanish didn’t believe him and put more resources
and money into building more Missions in East Texas.
 All trade between the French and Spanish was stopped.