The Mission System
What was the goal of the California Missions?
To spread Christianity and control land
What is a rancho?
A large land grant that was often used to raise cattle.
What is a vaquero?
A cowboy who herded cattle.
What animal did hides come from?
cow
What are adobe bricks made of?
Who started the California mission system?
Father Junipero Serra
What were ranchos mainly used for?
Raising cattle
What job did many Native Americans do on ranchos?
Laborers (farming, building, cooking, sewing)
What is tallow?
Fat used to make candles and soap
Who owned the largest rancho in Northern California?
Mariano Vallejo?
What were missions also used for besides religion?
Farming and teaching skills.
What happened to mission lands when Mexico took over?
They were turned into ranchos.
What did vaqueros use to catch cattle?
Ropes (lassos)
What were cow hides sometimes called?
California Banknotes
Why were adobe homes good for California?
They kept homes cool in hot weather
What were missions also used for besides religion?
They were forced to work and could not leave.
Who owned the ranchos?
Wealthy Californios (a Mexican born in California)
What was one difficult part of working on a rancho?
What was one difficult part of working on a rancho?
Who did Californians trade with?
Ships from other countries. Mexican law allowed for foreign trade which was different from Spanish law!
The Mexican government took all the Spanish lands. To whom did they originally promise to give the free land?
The Native Americans
What is one reason the mission system ended?
Mexico took control and began closing/secularizing missions.
Why was land important in Mexican California?
It showed wealth and was used for cattle and trade
Why were vaqueros important to the rancho system?
They managed and controlled the cattle
Why was trade important in Mexican California?
They needed tools and goods they could not make themselves.
How was life on a rancho different from life on a mission?
Missions focused on religion and control of Native Americans, while ranchos focused on cattle, trade, and land ownership.