Unit 2 Lesson 3 Life on Spanish Missions

Life on Spanish Missions

Unit 2 Lesson 3

Life on Spanish Missions

Do you like being the first one to do something? As you have read, our state of Florida has many of our country's first.

1) First place in the United States that Europeans explored.

2) First permanent European community in the United States.

3) First free African community in the United States.

Nombre de Dios

Here's another first for Florida - place with the first mission. A mission was settlement where religion was taught. This first mission was called Nombre de Dios. It was created in 1565 near St. Augustine. It Still stands today.

Multiple Choice

What is a mission?

• an important assignment carried out

• a settlement where religion was taught.

• an expedition into space.

• a strongly felt ambition

Missions

Native Americans had their own religions before the Spanish arrived. The Spanish set up missions to convert Native Americans to Christianity. To convert is to change your beliefs.

After converting, Native Americans no longer followed many of their traditional beliefs. Instead, they mostly followed the teachings of Christianity.

Multiple Choice

Why did the Spanish set up missions?

• to convert Native Americans to European way of life

• to convert Native Americans to French culture

• to convert Native Americans to Spanish culture

• to convert Native Americans to Christianity

Missions continued...

At missions, the Spanish also wanted to teach Native Americans about the Spanish way of life. Native Americans learned to speak Spanish and to use Spanish tools. Native Americans started to dress like the Spanish as well. They learned how to grow and eat new foods that the Spanish brought to the Americas too.

Multiple Select

Select all that apply: what did the Native Americans learn from the Spanish?

• Spanish way of life.

• speak Spanish

• use Spanish tools.

• dress like the Spanish as well.

• how to grow and eat new foods that the Spanish brought to the Americas too.

Multiple Select

What was the purpose of missions? (select 2)

• to convert Native Americans to Christianity;

• to teach Native Americans about farming

• to teach Native Americans French ways

• teach Native Americans Spanish ways

San Luis de Talimali

What was daily life like on a Spanish mission? We can find out by studying San Luis de Talimali mission. The Spanish and the Apalachee Native Americans lived there. It was located near present-day Tallahassee. This mission was one of the largest in Florida, and at its busiest time in 1675, about 1,500 people lived there.

Multiple Choice

Who lived on the San Luis de Talimali mission?

• The French and the Apalachee Native Americans.

• The Spanish and the Apalachee Native Americans.

• The Spanish and the French

• The Apalachee Native Americans lived there.

Work Life

A big part of daily life on the mission at San Luis involved growing crops and raising animals. People grew oranges, corn, wheat, watermelons, and many other crops. They raised pigs, cows, and chickens. The mission sent some of these items to St. Augustine and Spain every year.

Work Life continued...

Other kinds of work kept people busy too. The mission had weavers, leather makers, and metal workers. These workers made different kinds of useful items, such as clothing and metal tools. The mission also had soldiers who provided protection.

Homes and families also required a lot of work. People cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and cared for children.

Social Life

The people of San Luis also took time away from work. The Apalachee and the Spanish attended church services together every week. They also gathered at the mission’s central plaza to trade and hold community meetings. The Apalachee sometimes used the plaza to play a ball game called pelota. The Apalachee used a building called the council house for their own gatherings and meetings too.

Multiple Select

What did The Apalachee do for fun? Select all that apply.

• attended church services every week.

• trade and hold community meetings

• played football

• learned about religion

• play a ball game called pelota

Other Missions

San Luis and Nombre de Dios weren’t the only missions the Spanish built in Florida. From the middle of the 1500s through the 1600s, the Spanish created many missions across the northern part of Florida.

The missions were connected by a road called the camino real. This means “royal road” in Spanish. By the late 1600s, around 20,000 Native Americans were living on missions along this road.

Other Missions continued...

The Apalachee weren’t the only Native Americans who lived on Florida missions. The Timucua lived on missions too. The Apalachee lived on missions in the panhandle area of Florida, and the Timucua lived on the missions closer to Florida’s eastern coast.

Multiple Choice

The Apalachee lived on missions in the________ area of Florida.

• west coast

• keys

• panhandle

• east coast

Multiple Choice

The Timucua lived on the missions closer to Florida’s _________________.

• panhandle

• eastern coast

• western coast

• the keys

continued...

Although many Native Americans converted to Christianity and learned Spanish ways, they kept parts of their own cultures too. For instance, the leaders of the Apalachee and Timucua still controlled everyday matters. After converting, the Apalachee and Timucua continued to follow some of their old religious beliefs in addition to their new Christian ones.

...

The missions had problems. Spanish demands for labor became a form of slavery for Native Americans. The Spanish often made Native Americans work for them. Native Americans had to grow crops and raise animals for the Spanish. The Spanish also forced Native Americans to work on building projects. Some Native Americans, though, fought back against the Spanish.

...

Disease was a problem on missions too. Thousands of Native Americans died from illnesses that they got from the Spanish. Some missions were also attacked by other Native Americans and other Europeans. As a result of these problems, by the early 1700s, most missions had been abandoned.

Multiple Select

What problem(s) did the missions have? (select all that apply)

• slavery

• hunger

• Disease

• power struggle