Background Essay
Spanish Colonization Mini-O
Why Did Texas Almost Fail as a Spanish Colony?
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In the summer of 1519, four Spanish ships
sailed up the eastern coast of the Gulf of
Mexico. Led by Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, the
men on these ships became the first
Spaniards-in fact, the first white men-ever to
see the land that would become Texas. Nine
years later, Cabeza de Vaca and a handful of
shipwreck survivors became the first Spaniards
to actually live on Texas soil. After years in
slavery, Cabeza walked to Mexico City, where
he told his story and shared
his dream of founding a
Spanish colony in this huge
new land to the north.
To scare off the French, Spain had a plan.
The government would establish Catholic
missions near Indian settlements in east Texas.
The Franciscan friars running these missions
would Christianize the Indians, teach them
Spanish and encourage them to farm. At the
same time, soldiers would be sent north to build
and occupy presidios near the missions. In a
few years, the Indians would become good
Spanish citizens. Then, as land around the missions became safe, settlers
from Mexico and Spain
would move into Texas.
in his words, "wander around with the cows."
This Mini-Q asks you to determine what
went wrong with the Spanish plan. That is,
In some ways, the plan
worked. Missions were
Cabeza imagined a population of Spanish settlers
established and presidios
who would treat the Native
were built. Some settlers
Americans as friends. He
did arrive. But as a colony,
saw them as future trading
Texas did not prosper. The
famous Rubi Report of
partners and future Spanish
citizens. In this respect,
1768, requested by the king
of Spain himself, recomCabeza was a man way
mended that Spain abandon
ahead of his time.
Texas, close most of its
Cabeza's dream never
missions, and pull back its
came to be. At the time,
presidios to a line along the
Spain was more interested
Rio Grande. Only the
in gold than colonization.
Father Antonio Margil preaching to a group
strong community around
Soon after Cabeza left
of Tejas Indians in the 1700s.
San
Antonio would be
Mexico for Spain, Spanish
conquistador Francisco Coronado was sent north maintained. Not all of the Rubi Plan was carried
out, but it tells us how the Spanish government
in search of treasure. He and his army made it
felt. When Mexico claimed independence from
as far as modem-day Kansas, but came up
Spain in 1821, Texas had few Spanish citizens
empty. Instead of gold, Coronado found only
and
most of the missions had been abandoned.
Indians who lived in houses made of hide and,
In 1607 Spain established its first northern
settlement in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was not
until 1682 that it built its first Texas settlement at
Ysleta, near modem-day EI Paso. Finally, around
1690, the Spanish turned an eye to the east.
French settlers were moving into east Texas from
Louisiana, and this made Spain nervous.
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GI
Spanish Colonization Mini-Q
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Background Essay Questions
L In what year did the first Spaniards see the Texas coast?
2_ How many years later did Mexico become independent from Spain?
3. What was Cabeza de Vaca's dream for Texas?
4. Why did Coronado's expedition cause Spain to lose some interest in the Texas region?
5. What was Spain's strategy for developing Texas?
6. Why is the Rubi Report evidence that Spain was discouraged about developing Texas?
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7. Define each of the following:
"cows"
missions
Franciscan friars
presidio
Rubi Report
1521 - Spanish destroy Aztec city of TenochtitJan and establish what will be known as Mexico City
1682 - First Spanish mission in Texas, Corpus Christi de la Isleta, near El Paso
1718 - Founding of San Antonio de Valero mission. Later called the Alamo
17305 - Comanches move into Texas from the north
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1731 - 55 settlers from the Canary Islands arrive in San Antonio
1n6 - American colonies declare independence from England
1821 - Mexico declares independence from Spain
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Spanish Colonization Mini.Q
Document A
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Sou",..: Map crealed from varied sources.
Spanish Missions in Colonial Texas
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Nol..: The Texas Triangle was a name given 10 the region between Laredo and the coast. and between the
Rio Granda and Nueces Rivers. The area was nearly empty of people. very dry. and diHicull to traverse.
Document Analvsis
1. What was the total number of missions in colonial Texas?
2. What evidence is there that trade by water might have been difficult?
3. What evidence is there that overland trade from Mexico City might have been difficult?
4. What might explain why Texas settlements did not extend further to the northwest?
5. What additional barriers to settlement are suggested by this map?
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Spanish Colonization Mini-O
Document B
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Source: Adapted from Alicia Tjarks, ·Comparative Demographic Analysis of Texas, 1777 -1793;
Southwestern Historical Quarterly, January 1974.
Population of Spanish Texas (1777-1821)
Bejar (San Antonio)
Nacogdoches
Year
Civilians
and
Military
Mission
Indians
and
Friars
Civilians
and
Military
Mission
Indians
and
Friars
Civilians
and
Military
Mission
Indians
and
Friars
1777
1,351
709
SIS
181
347
0
1790
1,383
495
633
134
524
0
1821
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La Bahia (Goliad)
Total Population of Texas: 3,000 (historians' estimate; no census was taken)
Note: In 1790 nearly the entire non-Indian population of Texas lived in these three settlements. For comparison,
the non-Indian Spanish population in the rest of the Americas was over 2,000,000.
Document Analysis
1. According to this chart, where did the non-Indian popUlation of Texas live in the late 1700s?
2. What was the settled population of Texas in l777? In 1790?
3. What was the total mission population in 1777? In 1790?
4. What generalization can you make about the mission population of San Antonio?
5. Why aren't Indian tribes included in these census numbers?
6. In 1852 a famous Argentine philosopher named Juan Bautista AIberdi said, "To govern is to
populate." What do you think he meant and how does this quote and the chart help explain why
Spanish Texas almost failed?
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Spanish Colonization Mini-O
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Document C
Source: Nicholas de Lafora, The Frontiers of New Spain, 1766 - 1768.
Note: Nicholas de Lafora was a Spanish engineer who helped inspect all missions and presidios in the two provinces
of New Mexico and Texas. In August of 1767, Lafora visited the five missions and one presidio in and around
San Antonio. He reported 809 mission Indians supervised and taught by ten Franciscan friars. After complaining
about the amount of money spent on the friars and the 22 soldiers who helped to protect them, Lafora and his
team moved on to Nacogdoches.
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September 6,1767
"(W)e arrived at the Mission of Nacogdoches where we found only one
Franciscan friar ...• two soldiers with their families. and some young farm workers. The priest had not one Indian to whom he could minister. nor had there been
one during more than forty years of this mission's existence."
(Note: Mission closed in 1773)
September 8,1767
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"(T)he Mission of Los Ais ... is about as useless as the preceding one .... There
are ... a lay brother and two soldiers with their families who comprise the entire
popUlation. The Ais Indian nation lives in the neighborhood. They speak Spanish
well and appeal to the padres only when they want something."
(Note: Mission closed in (773)
October 9,1767
(At the Mission of Nuestra Senora de la Luz. near the Gulf of Mexico)
"Here the same conditions prevail as at the preceding missions .... (S)ince the year 1758
when the mission was founded here ... not a single Indian has been converted."
(Note: Mission later destroyed by Karankawa Indians)
Document Analysis
I. What evidence is there in the document that the mission system was successful in Christianizing
the Indians and turning them into Spanish citizens?
2. What evidence is there that the missions were not successful?
3. According to the Background Essay. how could successful missions lead to more Spanish settlers
in Texas?
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4. How would you use this document in an essay. "Why Did Texas Almost Fail as a Spanish
Colony?"
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Spanish Colonization Mini-Q
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Document D
Source: Adapted from C. Allan Jones, Texas Roots, Texas A&M University Press, 2005.
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Apache and Comanche Attacks in and Around
San Antonio and La Bahia (Goliad), 1
ns
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April 23
Settler killed by Comanches near La Bahia
April 23
Settler killed by Comanches east of San Antonio
May 9
Soldier from San Antonio presidio killed by Comanches
Mld.May
500 Apaches raid ranches in San Antonio and La Bahia
August 4
San Antonio mission Indian killed by Apaches
October
Several La Bahia area Indians killed by Comanches;
Comanches steal 100 horses in San Antonio
Note: The estimated population of the Comanche in central and east Texas was B,OOO.
The number of Apaches in Texas, New Mexico, and Coahuila was about 15,000.
Document Analysis
I. What two Indian groups appear to be causing the Spanish the most trouble in Texas?
2. Are Spanish settlers the only victims of these attacks? What's your evidence?
3. Does the number of Comanches and Apaches seem to be small or great? Explain.
4. How does this document answer the question, "Why Did Texas Almost Fail as a Spanish Colony?"
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