Spanish Colonial Texas (Part Two)

SPANISH COLONIAL TEXAS

McGraw Hill Chapter Six

​In this lesson, we will...

learn how Spain increased its efforts to colonize Texas, and how events in Europe affected Spanish and French colonial settlements.

Multiple Choice

Why did Father Hidalgo ask for help from the French governor of Louisiana?

• He wanted to rebuild the mission at San Francisco de los Tejas.

• He hoped to convert a new group of native peoples.

• He hoped to trade with Native Americans without Spanish permission.

• He wanted to expand the first Spanish mission into a town.

The Spanish decided to secure the East Texas.

The Spanish viceroy ordered new missions for East Texas. Spanish soldiers and families would

be needed to help settle the area.

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

St. Denis had both experience with the trails and good relations with the Native Americans.

The Spanish had him guide the soldiers and settlers on their journey to East Texas.

​

The Spanish arrived in June 1716 at the site of San Francisco de los Tejas.

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

Within a year, the Spanish had built six missions in the area.

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

It was located on the Neches River.

​

Multiple Choice

The Spanish built a presidio named Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Tejas on the _____ River to protect missions from Native American and French attacks.

• Rio Grande

• Mississippi

• Neches

• San Antonio

The journey from the Rio Grande to East Texas was dangerous.

Supplies came to the missions slowly or not at all.

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

​

The Spanish built a settlement between the Rio Grande and East Texas to make it easier to supply the missions.
The Spanish chose a site on the San Antonio River. In 1718 they built Presidio San Antonio de Béxar.

​

This settlement later became the

city of San Antonio.

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

Many soldiers sent to the presidio brought their families and settled there.

They farmed and built irrigation canals, or waterways, to water the farmlands.

The settlement eventually became a town.

​

​Across the river, Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares founded Mission San Antonio de Valero.

​

The mission chapel there is now known as the Alamo.

France declared war on Spain in late 1718.

In June of 1719 the French outpost of Natchitoches in

Louisiana heard the news.

The French commander immediately set out to attack the San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes mission.

France later seized Pensacola, Florida and were on their way to attack the East Texas settlements.

Fearing the French, missionaries, soldiers, and families panicked and fled to San Antonio.

Open Ended

Why did the French attack the San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes mission?

The viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) turned to the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo to retake East Texas.

The viceroy ordered Aguayo to organize a force to meet the French threat.

In the spring of 1721, Aguayo marched to Texas with more than 500 soldier-settlers.

He reopened the missions that had

been abandoned. He also moved Presidio Nuestra Señora de los Dolores to the Angelina River.

Aguayo then built a large presidio near the French post of Natchitoches. The site is not far from present-day Robeline, Louisiana. Aguayo called it Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes.

​

Open Ended

Using your AVID notes, answer the following question.

How did Aguayo’s efforts solve the problem of French intrusion into East Texas?