Colonial Impact
Which colonial power established missions in Alta California during this period?
Spain
What was the primary role of women in Alta California society?
Women took care of the home and raised children.
What was the main goal of the missions in Alta California?
To convert indigenous people to Christianity.
How did Spanish colonization change indigenous families?
It forced them to follow European marriage and family traditions.
How did indigenous women’s roles differ from those of Spanish women?
Indigenous women worked outside the home more than Spanish women.
What were the living conditions like in the missions?
Indigenous people lived in crowded and controlled conditions, often working for the missions.
How did the Spanish control indigenous families?
By making rules about marriages, baptisms, and family life through the church.
How did women’s lives change after the Spanish arrived?
Indigenous women lost freedom, and Spanish women had stricter roles.
What kind of labor did indigenous people perform at the missions?
They worked on farms, building projects, and in domestic tasks.
How did the mission system impact the indigenous population’s labor and social structures?
The mission system imposed forced labor on indigenous peoples and attempted to reshape their social structures to fit European models.
Who controlled land and resources in Alta California?
Mostly men, and women had to rely on their male relatives.
How were indigenous children treated in the missions?
They were separated from their families and raised in the missions under strict control.