Indians became main source of labor Planted and harvest crops & cared for

animals Indians came to mission by choice Came because of steady supply of food and

protection against enemies Once in mission, Spanish controlled Indians Punished them for not working or bad

behavior Those who ran away were caught &

brought back

Missions were religious places Indians went to religious meetings

daily Said prayers Some Indians converted to Catholic

faith

Farming was full time job at missions Raised sheep, goats, and cattle Some Indians made soap, bricks,

cotton goods, and other products Helped build missions Many others learned to sew, become

stone carvers, and blacksmiths

Spanish tried to teach Indians how they ruled

Appointed some mission Indians to be local chiefs

Chiefs carried out the orders of the missionaries

Spanish expected the Indians to defend the mission, but gave them no guns

Allowed Indians to vote in local elections and hold office

Helped build fort Built houses to live in and

storehouses for supplies Guarded livestock Carried messages Protected supply wagon trains Kept order in missions

Disease killed many Indians Indian rejection of Mission life Problems at Presidios-soldiers not well paid-had to buy own supplies from officers-soldiers and friars argued about how

to treat Indians

Spain gained Louisiana Territory from France

Spain evaluates missions in Texas and decide they are getting worse

Spain closes most missions Only those in San Antonio and La

Bahia remain Effort to settle Texas with this system

had failed