Missions & Presidios
What was the main purpose of a mission?
To convert Native Americans to Christianity
Who asked the French for help to rebuild the East Texas missions?
Father Hidalgo
Which country established Fort St. Louis in 1685?
France (La Salle)
Name one major reason missions failed.
Disease
Give one example of Spanish influence seen in Texas today.
Rodeos, ranching, vaqueros, Catholicism, Spanish place names
What is a presidio?
A fort built to protect a mission
Who is known as the “Father of the Rio Grande Valley”?
José de Escandón
What major mission was founded in 1718?
Mission San Antonio de Valero
Mission San Antonio de Valero
Which East Texas tribe resisted Spanish missions the most?
The Caddo
How did the French presence in Texas affect Spain?
Spain returned strongly and built more missions and presidios to defend the territory
Which mission, founded in 1718, became the center of Spanish Texas?
Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo)
Which Spanish priest helped establish San Francisco de los Tejas?
Fray Damián Massanet
What event in 1810 started the Mexican War of Independence?
Father Hidalgo’s Grito de Dolores
Why did poor farmland cause missions to fail?
It made it hard to grow food and support the mission community
What ranching tradition came from Spanish vaqueros?
Cattle branding, roping, riding techniques
Why did Spain build missions AND presidios together?
Missions needed protection from hostile Native groups and foreign threats (like the French)
Which leader helped rebuild missions in East Texas after the French threat (La Salle)?
Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo
Mexico gains independence
East Texas mission fails
Mission San Antonio founded
Answer: 2 → 3 → 1
Explain how conflict between Native tribes affected mission success.
Tribes like the Comanche attacked missions, especially those allied with enemies like the Apache
How did Spanish missions influence Texas cities today?
Many cities grew around old missions (like San Antonio)
Explain how missions helped Spain control Texas.
They converted and “Spanish-ized” Native groups, claimed land, established settlements, and extended Spain’s political and religious authority
What role did filibusters like Philip Nolan and James Long play in Texas?
They entered Texas illegally and challenged Spanish authority, increasing tensions and weakening Spanish control
What happened at Mission San Sabá in 1757, and why was it important?
It was attacked and destroyed by Comanche warriors, showing the weakness of Spanish control and conflict with Native groups
Give TWO reasons Spain struggled to keep missions functioning long-term.
Lack of funding and supplies from Spain AND Native resistance/disease.
Explain how Spanish colonization shaped Texas culture long-term.
Through language, religion, architecture, ranching traditions, and settlement patterns still visible today