Table of Contents
The Missions
of Texas
Janey Levy
ISBN: 978-1-61532-456-9
6-pack ISBN: 978-1-61532-457-6
P
The Missions of Texas
Janey Levy
Rosen Classroom
The Missions
Of Texas
Janey Levy
New York
Published in 2010 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010
Copyright 2010 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission
in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.
Book Design: Christopher Logan
Photo Credits: Cover (all images), pp. 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32 (Texas emblem on all),
332 (textured background), back cover (Texas ag), p. 23 (mission) Shutterstock.com; p. 4 Hulton Archive/
Getty Images; pp. 5, 8, 10, 11, 16 (all images), 19 (cottonwood tree), 25, 29 (El Paso) Wikimedia Commons;
pp. 7 (map), 12 (maps) GeoAtlas; p. 13 Darlene Meader Riggs; p. 14 Peter Wilson/Getty Images; p. 15
Getty Images; p. 17 Jusepe de Ribera/Getty Images; p. 19 (Alamo) Panoramic Images/Getty Images; p. 21
Scenics of America/PhotoLink/Getty Images; p. 27 courtesy Library of Congress; p. 29 (cowboys and cattle)
SambaPhoto/Araquem Alcantara/Getty Images.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Levy, Janey.
The Missions of Texas / Janey Levy.
p. cm. (Spotlight on Texas)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-61532-456-9 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-61532-457-6 (6-pack)
ISBN 978-1-61532-465-1 (library binding)
1. Missions, SpanishTexasHistoryJuvenile literature. 2. TexasHistoryTo 1846Juvenile literature.
3. FranciscansMissionsTexasHistoryJuvenile literature. I. Title.
F389.L48 2010
976.401dc22
2009042140
Manufactured in the United States of America
CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch # WW10RC: For further information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932.
New Spain 4
The Franciscans and
Their Missions 6
The First Texas Missions 8
East Texas Missions 12
The Alamo and Other San
Antonio Missions 18
La Baha 24
Death at Santa Cruz de San Sab 26
The Last Texas Mission 28
Reader Response Projects 30
Glossary 31
Index 32
Contents
e year was 1519. e place was a huge area of North America
called New Spain. Spanish explorer Alonso lvarez de Pineda was
mapping the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Pineda and his men were
the rst Europeans to see the entire coast of what is today Texas. At
the same time, conquistador Hernn Corts was beginning the ght
against Native Americans to conquer Mexico. Pineda and Corts came
to claim land for Spain and nd
riches. However, they didnt
know much about this strange
new land.
Many Native American
tribes had lived for centuries in
the place the Spanish called New
Spain. e Spanish often fought
the Native Americans to conquer
them. Other timesmainly in
frontier areas such as Texasthey
tried to make Native Americans
Spanish citizens using missions .
New Spain
Hernn Corts
This 1681 French map shows that Europeans still knew little
about Texas long after the rst explorers had arrived. The area that
includes Texas is labeled Terres Inconnues, or Unknown Lands.
Franciscans founded missions across Texas to teach Native
Americans about Christian beliefs and practices. ey also taught
them Spanish laws and ways of life. e missionaries usually didnt
force Native Americans to enter the missions. However, many came
because the missions o ered safety from enemies and a steady food
supply. ose who came had to follow rm rules. e Franciscans
hoped these Native Americans would nally become part of the
society Spain was trying to build in New Spain.
The Franciscans
and Their Missions
The Franciscans
The Franciscans were an order, or group of monks and nuns,
within the Catholic Church. St. Francis of Assisi founded
the order in 1209. They believed they should stay poor so
that worldly goods didnt become too important to them.
At rst, they spent their time preaching. Later, they took up
educational and missionary work.
e Spanish built forts called presidios near the missions.
Soldiers who guarded the missions lived in the presidios.
Sometimes villas were built, too. ese were ordinary towns not
controlled by the Franciscans.
e Franciscans founded twenty-six missions in all. Most
werent as successful as the missionaries had hoped. However, they did
much to shape modern Texas culture .
This map shows the locations of the Franciscan
missions in Texas. Notice that most of them are in
central, southern, and eastern Texas.
This map shows the locations of the Franciscan
missions in Texas. Notice that most of them are in
central, southern, and eastern Texas.
mission
presidio
Spanish missions
in Texas, 16591795
e Spanish didnt take much interest in Texas until long after
1519. In 1632, Franciscans built the rst Texas mission, near the
present city of San Angelo. e next missions were built in 1659 and
1680, near what is today El Paso. El Paso was also the location for
the rst Texas mission accompanied by a villaCorpus Christi de la
Isletawhich was built in 1682.
The First Texas
Missions
Corpus Christi de la Isleta
The English
Colonies
The United States didnt yet exist
in the 1500s and 1600s. Along
the Atlantic coast, however,
England was founding colonies
that would one day become free
and form the United States. Use
this timeline to compare events in
Texas and along the Atlantic coast.
Colony founded on
Roanoke Island.
Plymouth Colony
founded.
Maryland
founded.
Jamestown
founded.
New York
founded.
Connecticut becomes
a colony.
Carolina
founded.
New Jersey
founded.
Rhode Island becomes
a colony.
New Hampshire
becomes a colony.
Franciscans found
Corpus Christi de
la Isleta.
Alonso lvarez de Pineda maps
coast of Texas. Hernn Corts
begins ght to conquer Mexico.
Franciscans found rst
Texas mission near
San Angelo.
Franciscans found
second Texas mission
near El Paso.
Pennsylvania
founded.
1519
1585
1607
1620
1624
1632
1634
1636
1643
1647
1659
1660
1663
1682
1680
Franciscans found
third Texas mission
near El Paso.
e Franciscans who founded Corpus Christi de la Isleta came
from New Mexico. Angry Native Americans had driven them out of
