Chapter 6 Lesson 2 (Part One)

Spanish Colonial Texas

McGraw Hill Chapter 6 Lesson 2

In today's lesson we will...

• Learn about the Spanish settlement of East Texas.

• Learn about the founding of major Texan cities, such as San Antonio and Laredo.

• The Spanish worried about French plans to occupy East Texas.

• The Spanish viceroy ordered new missions for East Texas.

• Frenchman Louis de St. Denis had been sent by the French to work with the Spanish.

• He had both experience with the trails and good relations with the Native Americans.

• The Spanish arrived in June 1716.

• They founded a mission called Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas.

• The Spanish also built a presidio, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Tejas.

• It was located on the Neches River.

Open Ended

• Why was Louis de St. Denis sent by France to assist the Spanish?

​Problems with colonization

• The Spanish also needed a colony between the settlements on the Rio Grande and the new East Texas missions.

• Although it was against Spanish law, East Texans had to trade with the French in Louisiana or starve.

• The Spanish decided to build settlements between the Rio Grande and East Texas to make supplies easier to secure.

The Spanish chose a site on the San Antonio River. In 1718 they

built Presidio San Antonio de Béxar. Martín de Alarcón oversaw the work. This settlement later became the city of San Antonio.

Across the river in San Antonio, Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares

founded Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission chapel there

is now known as the Alamo.

Open Ended

• Why did the Spanish build a settlement near the San Antonio river?

• In about 1748, José de Escandón, a military leader from Spain, was given charge of territory from northern Mexico to the San Antonio River.

• This region was called Nuevo Santander.

• Escandón founded 20 settlements in this area. They included Laredo, the colony’s capital, and Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.

• Both were near the Rio Grande.

​

Escandón is sometimes called “the

father of the lower Rio Grande Valley.”

Multiple Choice

Why did the Spanish found a presidio and missions at San Antonio?

• large Native American population there

• to protect the supply route to East Texas missions

• to counter French influence in that area

• the make the first foothold in Texas

Multiple Choice

A human-made waterway used for irrigation is called a(n) _____.

• viaduct

• canal

• aqueous

• culvert

Multiple Choice

The chapel at the Mission San Antonio de Valero is now known as the _____.

• Buenaventura

• River City Church

• Presido

• Alamo