PRESIDIOS & PUEBLOS I
The Spanish first established these to defend nearby towns, ranches and mining camps from attack.
What are presidios?
Most presidio soldiers tended to join the army because it was their best opportunity to acquire a significant amount of this.
What is land?
In 1826, the governor of California announced that all Native Americans would be freed from the control of the mission system and become full citizens of this nation.
What is Mexico?
This group of people provided the majority of the workforce on the ranchos.
Who were Native Americans?
In addition to those responsible for herding cattle, rancho workers also commonly engaged in cooking, making clothing and this important activity.
What is carpentry?
This term mostly describes the soldiers posted at the presidios who were of mixed Spanish, black or Native American blood.
Who were mestizos?
The Native Americans who lived at the missions were often mistreated by the presidio soldiers, which angered the monks, who commonly referred to the natives by this term.
Who were Neophytes?
In 1827, a law was passed ordering all of these people under the age of 60 to leave all Mexican lands forever including California.
Who were the Spanish?
Rancho owners showed which cattle they owned by burning this unique marking symbol into their sides.
What is a brand?
These long ropes were commonly used to lasso cattle and herd them into these.
What are reatas and corrals?
Beginning in the 1700's, the Spanish became concerned about these three European nations competing with them for land in North America.
What are Russia, England and France?
Life in the presidios tended to be very difficult for the soldiers as they often went for years without these two very important necessities.
What were pay and supplies?
In 1833, the Mexican government passed a law that would dissolve the mission system, beginning this process all across California.
What was secularization?
This term describes the most important worker at the rancho and is a Spanish word that when translated into English means "cowboy".
What is a vaquero?
This term describes the person who was responsible for managing all the rancho workers for the rancho owner.
Who is the mayordomo?
In total, the Spanish built presidios at these four locations in Alta California.
What are San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Francisco?
To encourage settlers to establish pueblos in Alta California, the Spanish government offered them these three valuable items free of charge.
What were land, livestock and tools?
In 1833, the governor of California, Jose Figueroa, created a plan that would distribute all mission lands to this group of people.
Who are Native Americans?
The Mexican government had these two major requirements before one could petition for a land grant.
What was become a Mexican citizen and a Catholic?
Most cattle on the ranchos in Alta California were not raised for their meat but instead for these two very valuable products.
What are hides and tallow?
This term describes small groups of soldiers who lived at the missions where they acted as guards and were often used to recapture runaways.
Who were the Escolta?
Ultimately the Spanish successfully founded pueblos at these three locations which today are each major California cities.
What are San Jose, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz?
Sadly, most Native Americans had their lands stolen by large numbers of newly arrived Mexican settlers who later created these all across California.
What are ranchos?
Aspiring rancho owners would include this in their petitions using streams, hills, trees and other landmarks to show the boundaries of their land.
What is a diseno?
Rancho owners often traded with American merchant ship captains for these five items.
What are tools, clothing, furniture, spices and jewelry?