Chapter 6 Lesson 3 Life in Spanish Texas

Chapter 6 Lesson 3

Life in Spanish Texas

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the Spanish missions?

• to educate children

• to convert natives to Catholicism

• to protect citizens

• to feed families

Mission Life

• Life in the missions was complicated. The different people like friars, soldiers, and natives, all lived in a small place with a variety of viewpoints.

• Living in missions, friars lives were strict. They ate, relaxed, and studied the Roman Catholic religion. Their main job was to teach Native Americans to do these things.

• They also taught Spanish customs, the language, and trades such as ranching, farming, masonry, blacksmithing, and weaving.

• The Native Americans were not always willing to adopt this knew way of life, and could be quite difficult.

Friars and Native Americans

• Native Americans were not forced to live at the missions. Although the would sometimes agree to the Spanish way of life, they would sometimes leave to practice their own traditional cultural practices as well.

• Many times they would live in the missions as protection from enemies.

• How to accommodate and treat the Native Americans was often a source of tension. They struggled with whether to be forceful or not.

• The friars believed the soldiers did not have a good relationship with the natives so many times the presidios would be built too far away to help if they needed protection.

Multiple Choice

Why would Native Americans often leave the missions?

• to practice traditional customs

• to fight other natives

• to pray

A Soldier's Life

• Often, soldier's lives were boring or exciting. When exciting, they were fighting off attacks and raids from natives and the French. Sometimes they would bring back Native Americans that left the missions.

• They may even conduct supply trains, protect settlers, or deliver mail. On the boring days they would tend to horses, maintain the presidio, or guard duty.

• Soldier's pay was low because of isolation. They also had to pay for their own supplies and the officers overcharged them, which often kept them in debt to continue working at the presidios.

Settlements and a New Heritage

• Settlers were mostly women and children of soldiers. As settlements grew, craft workers and merchants became attracted to the area. This required teachers and doctors for the area.

• San Antonio had the first school in the community, medicine was basic, but the community did their best to protect public health.

• There were many different ancestries from Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and African. This influenced the language, traditions, and customs of the area.

• There were many blends that included Mestizo and Tejano. And African Americans were both free and enslaved.

​

​Settlements and New Heritage Continued

-The distance of the Tejanos from Texas eventually led to a very distinct culture.​ Tejanos were a blend of Mexican and Texan cultures, now seen today.

-Mestizos were a mix of Mexican and Native American cultures. This blend is also seen in Central America and Texas today.​

-All of this is due to the distance from Spanish Mexico.​

Multiple Choice

Which races could be found in the new Spanish colonies in Texas?

• White, Mexican, African, Native American

• Mexican, Dutch, African, Spanish

• African, Mexican, French, Dutch

• Mexican, Spanish, African, Native American

Life for Native Americans

• The main reason Native Americans lived in the missions was for protection. Warrior cultures such as Apache and Comanche were less likely to attack.

• They also had a dependable food supply at the missions. Native Americans attempted to maintain their own traditions.

• Disinterest and disease by the Native Americans were the main reasons for the failure of the missions.

Multiple Choice

The Spanish missions be considered diverse?

• Agree

• Disagree

​

​***Points to Remember***

​-Primary interest in Texas by the Spanish was due to belief that the French were interested in the Texas area.

-Native Americans were not always interested in the ways of the Spanish

ways of life.​

-​Soldiers were there to protect the missions and were often underpaid and in debt.

-Early Spanish communities were highly diverse-including Mestizos, Tejanos, and African Americans.

-Missions and population growth failed due to disinterest by Native Americans.​