1. Race to Claim Texas
Ch. 6

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

3. 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

4. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. Back to Regularly Scheduled Settling…

13. 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