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.