Race to Claim Texas Ch. 6

Spain: 1 France: 0 Late 1600s to the early 1700s Spain made their move from Mexico and New Mexico Their Goal? Destroy La Salle!!!

Alonso De Leon Sent to explore the Rio Grande and the Neches Rivers 3 years and 4 expeditions later… …He found Fort St. Louis in ruins Continued into East Texas and found the Caddoes, which he named the “Tejas” Leon like their fertile soil, good climate, and friendly people

Beginning of the Missions Spanish Viceroy asked Leon and Massanet to convert the Caddoes to Catholicism “Land of the Tejas” Established San Francisco de Los Tejas

Caddoes = ...Right? …WRONG! Friendliness + Trade Networks Spreading Religion and Gaining Land and Money for Spain ...Right? …WRONG!

First Missions Fail Problems… Solutions… Drought Crisis Hostile Natives Lack of interest in giving up their way of life, clearing lands, working to support mission, etc. Need a constant flow of supplies Establish settlements before continuing Provide Military Support Ultimately Spain ended its attempt in 1693

Reclaiming East TX Spain lost interest for a long time until the French decided to try again 1st order of business: Reopen San Francisco de los Tejas (1716) Solve the supply problem between Mexico and East TX

Reclaiming East TX Created a mission and presidio for supplies San Antonio de Valero San Antonio de Bexar* Created six other missions that year for the advancement of Spain

Pardon the Interruption for THE Ultimate Showdown… The Chicken War!

Big Picture: France and Spain were fighting a war over the Italian Islands Our Picture: France transferred their hostilities to TX and sent Lt. Blondel to raid Spanish missions Exaggeration Station! Missionaries, families, soldiers, etc. panic and flee the area giving France the upper hand

Back to Regularly Scheduled Settling…

In the End... Successes Failures East Texas (Marques de San Miguel de Aguayo) Sent by Mexican viceroy to rebuild East TX Able set up 10 missions and 4 presidios Los Adaes (capital of Spanish TX) La Bahia (Goliad--largest settlement) Rio Grande (Jose de Escandon) Moved La Bahia to San Antonio River Population grew, ranching developed, made friends with the Karankawa Lured colonists from Mexico with free land Created 24 settlements in 6 years! No success with converting Apaches Attack at San Saba Tried to retaliate against Apaches with 2,000 other settlers and natives but failed Mission was burned, horses stolen, people killed Result?? Missions and Presidios could not protect settlers from Natives so Texas remained largely unsettled