1. Spanish Settlement in Texas
Chapters 6 and 7

2. The Race to Claim Texas Closed Alonzo de Leon
Sent to find and destroy La Salle and Fort St Louis in 1686
Finds fort abandoned
Neither Spain nor France had a strong claim to Texas, which lay between Spanish Mexico and French Louisiana
Explores East Texas and discovers
Fertile Soil
Good Climate
Friendly natives (Caddoes)
He names them the Tejas
Responsible for naming several Texas rivers
Closed

3. Missions Father Damian Massanet Purpose: Results:
Built the 1st Spanish mission in East Texas
San Francisco de Los Tejas
It would eventually be abandoned in 1693
Purpose:
Convert the Native Texans to the Catholic faith
Teach Native Texans to be good citizens of Spain
The mission was Spain’s main tool for colonizing Texas
Results:
Most missions were unsuccessful
Many of the Native Texans died from diseases
Native Texans did not care for mission life and ran away
The missions cost the Spanish government too much money to operate
Spain had expected the missions to be self supporting by the late 1700’s

4. The French Return The “Chicken War”
Frenchmen Louis Juchereau de St Denis arrives in Texas in 1713
He is arrested by Spain
St Denis claims to want to help the Spanish re-open the East Texas missions
He is eventually released
Captain Diego Ramón is sent to re-open the East Texas missions
His guide on the expedition is St Denis
The Ramón Expedition established 6 missions in East Texas by the end of 1716
The “Chicken War”
A force of 7 French soldiers “invaded” Texas in 1719
The French easily captured the Spanish missions
The missionaries were able to escape when a squawking chicken distracted the French
They spread the word of the French “invasion”
All Spanish missions in East Texas were abandoned
The “Chicken War” demonstrated that Spain’s presence in East Texas was very weak

5. Spain Retakes Control Presidios
In 1721 Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo led a large Spanish expedition to reclaim East Texas
Spain re-opened its East Texas missions
Spain established presidios to provide protection for the missions
Los Adaes was established as the capital of the province of Texas
Spain’s “eyes and ears” for French activity in the region
Presidios
A military post or fort
Purpose:
Provide military support for missions and settlements
Protect colonist from French or Native Texas attack

6. Spanish Colonization Efforts
After the French were no longer a threat Spain abandoned most of it’s East Texas missions to save money
Spain attempted to build other missions
Central Texas
Southeast Texas
Northwest Texas
All of these missions failed
Mission San Saba in West Texas
Was forced to close after several missionaries were killed because of repeated attacks by the Comanche
Mission San Antonio de Valero
Established in 1718 as a halfway point to the missions in East Texas
Was a rare success it even grew cotton successfully to make money
Pueblos (Towns)
Provided support for the missions and presidios
Towns grew slowly in Texas
Without running water and sewage systems diseases and epidemics were a problem
Attacks by Native Texans
San Antonio de Bexar
In 1731 families from the Canary Islands were brought to live in San Antonio
Ranchos (Ranches)
Raised livestock to provide food for the missions, presidios, and towns
Ranching would become a very successful industry in Texas

7. Spanish Texas
San Antonio
Goliad

8. Spain Makes Changes
In 1764 Marqués de Rubí was sent by the King of Spain to inspect New Spain’s northern frontier
Not all Spanish settlers wanted to leave East Texas
In 1779 a group of settlers, led by Gil Ybarbo, returned to East Texas and established the town of Nacogdoches
Rubí Recommends closing all East Texas missions
Make San Antonio the new capital of Texas

9. The End of Spanish Rule
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla calls for Mexican citizens to seek independence from Spain on September 16, 1810
He would be arrested and executed in 1811
He had gained many supporters and his idea spread
On August 24, 1821 Mexico gained its independence from Spain
Texas now became a part of Mexico