spanish settlements life in spanish texas. missions
TRANSCRIPT
Spanish Settlements
Life in Spanish Texas
MISSIONS
Missions
Convert Natives to the Catholic faithFour walls, with lookout towers at the
cornersInside: priests’ offices, rooms for
weaving cloth, shops for different jobsChapel: not for formal Sunday services,
but for baptisms, weddings, and funerals
Daily Life in Missions
1. Morning prayer2. 30 minutes of instruction3. Reciting of the rosary4. Breakfast5. Work6. Evening meal7. Instruction and prayer8. Sleep
Failure of Missions
Women died giving birthEuropean diseases killed manyNew diet made them sickToo expensive for Spain to keep up with
PRESIDIOS
Presidios
Provided military support Protect colonists from Native Americans Return natives who ran away from missions
Rectangular with four tall walls and lookout points
Barracks for soldiers Chapel Storage rooms Only one entrance
Daily Life in Presidios
10 year commitmentHard work, constant dangerMany did not get along with priestsNot paid much, supplies were high cost
Often got second jobs to be able to afford basic supplies
PUEBLOS
Pueblos = Towns
Homes made from logs, adobe, and stone
Jacals: huts with thatched roof, walls covered in mud or clay
Built dams as a form of irrigation
Life in the Pueblos
Worked as gunsmiths, bakers, merchants, carpenters, etc.
Very limited education, only wealthy could afford books
Women: sewed, washed, midwives, teaching morals and values, owned property separate from husband
Alcalde: official acting as mayor, sheriff, and judge
Activities for Fun
Horse racingFestivals, outdoor activitiesTelling folktales, singing ballads
PROBLEMS:Unsanitary living conditionsDiseases, few doctors or medicinesRaids by Native Texans
RANCHES
Ranches
Supplied the towns with wool, animal hides, and other materials
Used fat to create soap and candlesHorses supplied to soldiers
Growth of the Cattle Industry
between San Antonio and the Guadalupe Rivers known as “cradle of Texas ranching”
Ranches
Vaqueros = cowhands or cowboysEasier than farming:
Cattle could stand the harsh climateCattle easier to move than cropsFarming required irrigationFarms had to compete with Missions for
workers