6.1 Spanish Settlements on the Frontier
The Mission System
At first, the Spanish were the only ______with settlements in North America. But by the early 1600’s other nations had begun founding settlements. Royal officials wanted to protect New Spain’s ______. Because few Spaniards lived in these borderlands, the Spanish sent missionaries there to establish ______, or religious communities. Spain used missions to convert Native Americans to ______and eventually, to develop settlements in the borderlands – this system also represented the Spanish government in the borderlands. The Spanish built missions near ______to ensure a good water supply. Missions usually included ______, dormitories, workrooms, barns, fields and ______. The Spanish wanted the Indians to live within the mission walls. Missionaries taught the Indians about Catholicism and an agricultural way of life. Many Indians helped build and maintain the missions. But many other Indians did not want the missions built on their lands and ______. To protect the missions from attack, the Spanish usually built ______, or military bases. Soldiers in these forts were responsible for protecting several missions. When ______came to the borderlands, they usually built their settlements near missions and presidios. Some of these civil settlements became small towns. Farmers and merchants in these towns provided products and services for the missions and presidios. Other Spaniards lived on ranchos, or ranches. Some ranchos belonged to mission, while others were privately owned. Over time, some of these ranches grew into small settlements, increasing the Spanish presence in the borderlands. Ranches – Ranching was more conducive to where missions and settlements were thriving (San Antonio). Cattle were easier to raise and protect than farming.
New Missions Along the Rio Grande In the late 1600s the Spanish began building missions just south of the ______. They also built several missions among the ______in New Mexico. Life in the New Mexico missions was hard, and food was often scarce. The situation grew worse in the 1670s when a drought ruined many crops. Tensions increased when missionaries tried to stop the Pueblo from following their ______. In 1680, a Pueblo spiritual leader named Pope’ led a revolt against the Spanish. This ______forced the Spanish out of New Mexico Spain wanted to give these settlers a place to live and build a base from which to retake New Mexico. To accomplish these goals, Spanish officials extended the mission system along the Rio Grande. In 1682, Spanish founded the first mission in Texas. ______was along the western ______, just east of present day ______. Over time a town grew up on the site. The Tigua Indians called the settlement Ysleta, which is probably the oldest European town in Texas. El Paso was later founded near Ysleta. 1682 – Spaniards establish the first Texas mission at Corpus Cristi de la Ysleta Other missions were built in the area, Spanish and Piro Indians fleeing from the Pueblo Revolt founded a mission southeast of Ysleta. Missionaries hoped to convert the ______, ______, Manso, Piro, Suma and Tano Indians. In the midst of this activity, the Spanish received some shocking news. The ______had entered the ______– Spanish waters. The Spanish quickly focused their attention on protecting their territory.