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The Missions of San Antonio

© Rick Muenchow

Mention Colonial America and most people will conjure up visions of the Pilgrims, or the first settlers at Jamestown, or Colonial Williamsburg, or perhaps Independence Hall in Philadelphia. And it's true: all of these played a vital role in the growth of the United States. Yet we sometimes forget that life in the Thirteen Colonies was essentially a British (or Dutch or Swedish) experience. Elsewhere on the continent, other groups were using entirely different methods for staking claims to the vast territory which eventually became Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

The French, for example, built a series of fortifications along the interior of the continent, stretching from present-day Canada through the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys and down to New Orleans, and engaged in active trading with the indigenous peoples. The Spanish had a presence on the continent also, operating primarily in Florida and throughout the Southwest. In fact, by the time the Pilgrims landed in 1620, the Spanish had already founded both St. Augustine (in 1535) and Santa Fe (in 1610).

Ultimately, however, the Spanish did not pursue colonization along the lines of the British model. Instead, they came to believe that the primary method of acquiring and holding territory should be under the auspices of the Catholic Church. By building missions in strategic places, the Spanish reasoned, they could not only proclaim the Gospel to the native peoples, but also provide protection and control.

Even though the goals of the missions were ostensibly religious, their sphere of influence spilled over into other areas. The most successful missions were economic and cultural centers, with significant land holdings that allowed for the cultivation of crops or the raising of sheep or cattle. The missions were also a means of governance in that they operated with the full knowledge and consent of the Spanish crown. And to make sure things never got out of hand, there was often an accompanying military presence there as well, with soldiers being quartered if not in the mission itself, then perhaps in a nearby fortress, known as a presidio.

While many fine examples of Spanish missions still exist throughout the United States (San Juan Capistrano in California and San Xavier de Bac near Tucson are but two), you will perhaps have no better opportunity to visit several missions as a group than in San Antonio, Texas.

San Antonio itself actually began as a Franciscan mission, specifically the Mision San Antonio de Valero, which was later to become known as the Alamo. East Texas was a strategic spot for the Spanish because of its proximity to the French in Louisiana, and so the Spanish made establishing a string of missions along the San Antonio River a priority.

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