History Lesson 2
From Missions to Ranches (Grade 4)
Instruction 3-1
Spanish Missions
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You may have heard about the missions in California. You may have even
visited one. But do you know how these missions came to be? How old are
they? What were they for? Whose idea was it to build them? We will answer
these questions in this lesson.
It was King Charles III, the king of Spain, who thought of having the missions
built. It was the year 1768, and Spain had been claiming the land on the
California Coast for about 200 years. The land was rich and good for building
cities and having safe harbors. However, no Spanish settlements had been built
by 1768.
King Charles III heard that the Russians were interested in the same land. He
knew he had to act fast, or Spain would lose the land to Russia.
So why did the king decide to build missions? Why not just build some towns?
The king knew that in order for cities to survive, there would have to be farms to
supply food. The king decided to have a series of farms up the coast. Each farm
would be a day’s ride from the next. This way it would be easy to trade goods
and pass news along.
The king wanted farms, but there were no
Spanish people to do the work. So the king
decided building missions would be the smartest
move. Spanish priests would go to the coast,
escorted by Spanish soldiers, and tell the Indians
about God and the Catholic Christian religion.
They would also get the Indians to help work on
the missions.
Mission Delores
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The missions were designed by the priests, but
they were built by the Indians. Each mission was
a little different, but they all had the same basic
plan. Each mission was built in a square. The
church was at one corner of the square. It was
usually the tallest, grandest building. The
unmarried Indian women had rooms at the back
of the square. Other rooms were used for
cooking, storage, workshops, sleeping space,
and an office.
California Content Standards Grade 4 4.2.1
B. J. Subbiondo © 2004
History Lesson 2
From Missions to Ranches (Grade 4)
Instruction 3-1
Spanish Missions
www.etap.org
The Native American culture was of course foreign to the Spanish. These
Indians worshipped many gods. They also did not speak Spanish. They had
dark skin, and they had different customs. Because of these things, the
Spanish thought the Indians were uneducated and subject to the forces of
evil. The missionary priests therefore saw it as their duty, or divine “mission,”
to convert the Native Americans to the worship of the true God and to
educate them to the ways of Christian morality and Western civilization,
including modern agriculture and crafts. In return for these benefits, they
expected the Indians to work on the missions to help make the land secure
for Spain.
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California Content Standards Grade 4 4.2.1
B. J. Subbiondo © 2004
History Lesson 2
From Missions to Ranches (Grade 4)
Instruction 3-1
Spanish Missions
www.etap.org
The first missions were founded by a priest named Junípero Serra. He was the
leader of the mission system. There were twenty-one missions built altogether in
Upper, or “Alta,” California. Junípero Serra himself built nine of those missions.
He built the first mission in San Diego. Here is a map of the missions and when
they were built:
Junípero Serra believed what he was doing was a good thing. He thought he
was helping the Indians. The Indians learned religion from the Spanish
missionaries. They also learned a lot about farming and other skills. The
Spanish did not just want to teach the natives their religion. They believed the
Spanish way of life was much better. They wanted to make the natives live
according to Spanish culture.
The Native Americans worked very hard on the Missions. Their “pay” in return
for their service was food, education, training, and the knowledge of the Christian
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California Content Standards Grade 4 4.2.1
B. J. Subbiondo © 2004
History Lesson 2
From Missions to Ranches (Grade 4)
Instruction 3-1
Spanish Missions
www.etap.org
God. There are records indicating that the Indians were sometimes mistreated
and even beaten by certain Spaniards. One must consider and balance these
accounts against the positive contributions made by the Spanish to the Native
American way of life .
The Indians caught diseases from the Spanish. Like most people, the Spanish
were safe from the diseases of their own country (Spain). Their bodies had
fought their country’s diseases for centuries. Still, they carried these diseases in
their bodies, and the Indians had no protection from them. Thousands of Native
Americans died during the time of initial contact with European settlers. The
problem of transition of diseases has increased today due to worldwide travel by
many
The missions in California died out after the Mexican War for Independence,
which we will learn about in the next section of this lesson. The missions were a
way of life for only about seventy years. However, their impact on young
California was enormous .
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California Content Standards Grade 4 4.2.1
B. J. Subbiondo © 2004