Junipero Serra and the California Missions Pt 1
Summary
TLDRIn the mid-18th century, Spain embarked on a mission to establish settlements along the wild West Coast of North America, leading to the California Mission system. The endeavor, led by Captain Gaspar de Portola and Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra, aimed to solidify Spain's claim to the region and convert the indigenous population. Facing hardships, including disease, native resistance, and a struggle between religious and military goals, the mission project nearly failed. However, faith and perseverance saw it through, forever changing the future of California and its native people.
Takeaways
- 📜 In the mid-18th century, Spain initiated a land rush to establish control over California, sending an unlikely group of soldiers and priests on a mission to establish settlements along the west coast of North America.
- 🌊 The west coast of North America was largely unexplored and wild, with early European explorers like Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo having minimal impact on the region since 1542.
- 🗺️ Early accounts of California were fanciful and inaccurate, with some cartographers even depicting it as a large island, and early descriptions of the natives varied from man-eating monsters to beautiful female warriors.
- 🏡 California was home to over 63 tribes of indigenous people who lived a rich and peaceful existence, unaware of the impending changes to their world.
- 🤝 In 1767, King Carlos III of Spain approved a plan to establish Spanish settlements in California, involving both the church and the state in a joint effort.
- 👥 Captain Gaspar de Portola and Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra were chosen to lead the expedition, representing the military and religious aspects of the colonization, respectively.
- 🛶 The expedition faced numerous challenges, including disease, lack of knowledge about native foods, and conflicts over the primary purpose of the mission between converting the natives and establishing a military presence.
- 🙏 Despite setbacks, Father Serra's faith and determination played a crucial role in the continuation of the mission, as he refused to abandon his calling even in the face of adversity.
- 🏰 The establishment of the first mission in San Diego was met with resistance from the native population, who were unhappy with the Spanish intruders and launched an attack on the mission.
- 🛶 A key moment in the mission's survival came when Father Serra prayed for a resupply ship to arrive, and on the feast day of St. Joseph, a ship appeared, saving the mission from failure.
- 🗣️ Serra's efforts to learn the native language and understand their culture were essential in attracting converts and expanding the mission, highlighting the importance of cultural understanding in colonization efforts.
Q & A
What was the primary motivation for the Spanish land rush in California during the mid-18th century?
-The primary motivation was to establish Spanish control over the vast California wilderness and to solidify Spain's claim to the region, especially in response to the perceived threat of English and Russian explorers heading towards California.
Who were the key figures leading the Spanish expedition to establish missions in California, and what roles did they play?
-The key figures were Captain Gaspar de Portola, who led the military aspect of the expedition, and Father Junipero Serra, a Franciscan missionary who led the religious effort to convert the native population.
What was the fundamental disagreement between Captain Portola and Father Serra during the expedition?
-The fundamental disagreement was whether the primary purpose of the expedition was to establish a Spanish military presence or to convert the native population to Christianity. This conflict created underlying tension throughout the mission.
How did Father Serra's leg injury during the expedition get treated, and why is this significant?
-Father Serra's leg injury, which became ulcerated, was treated by an old mule handler using animal salve, after which he was miraculously able to continue the journey. This event is considered one of several extraordinary or miraculous incidents associated with Father Serra.
What was the state of the San Diego mission when Captain Portola and Father Serra first arrived?
-When they first arrived, the San Diego mission was in a dire state, with one of the support ships lost at sea, many sailors dead from disease, and food supplies dangerously low. The remaining crew and soldiers faced significant challenges in establishing the mission.
Why did Father Serra and the Spanish missionaries view the California natives as children?
-The missionaries viewed the natives as children because they did not consider them equals in terms of reasoning and understanding. This condescending view influenced how they treated the natives, often dismissing their resistance to Spanish ways as childish behavior.
What event caused a sudden change in the relationship between the Spanish settlers and the native population in San Diego?
-A sudden change occurred when a large contingent of natives launched a surprise attack on the San Diego mission, showing their displeasure with the Spanish presence. The attack was repelled by the small number of remaining soldiers at the mission.
How did Father Serra react when Captain Portola decided to abandon the mission project and return to Mexico?
-Father Serra was deeply distressed by the decision to abandon the mission project. He secretly made plans to remain behind alone, unwilling to give up on his calling to convert the natives, even if it meant sacrificing his life.
What was the significance of the novena that Father Serra initiated, and how did it affect the outcome of the expedition?
-The novena, a set of prayers conducted over nine days in honor of Saint Joseph, was significant because it reflected Father Serra's deep faith. Just as Captain Portola was preparing to retreat, a resupply ship arrived on the final day of the novena, which was seen as a miraculous answer to their prayers.
What long-term impact did Father Serra's experience with the resupply ship have on his practices at the missions?
-The arrival of the resupply ship on March 19th, after the novena, led Father Serra to honor Saint Joseph by celebrating a high mass on the 19th of every month at each mission for the rest of his life.
Outlines
🏰 The Founding of California Missions
In the mid-18th century, Spain initiated a land rush to secure the California wilderness, leading to the establishment of settlements along the coast of North America. This endeavor was a joint effort between soldiers and priests, aiming to plant both the Spanish flag and the Christian cross. The region was largely unexplored and inhabited by over 63 tribes, with a population of nearly 340,000. King Carlos III of Spain, prompted by the threat of English and Russian explorers, approved the plan to establish missions. The expedition was led by Captain Gaspar de Portola and Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra, who had conflicting views on the primary purpose of the mission. Despite the challenges, they set sail from Mexico in 1769, marking the beginning of a transformative period for California and its indigenous people.
🌊 The Struggles and Setbacks of the Expedition
The Spanish expedition faced numerous challenges from the outset. The land-based party, led by Captain Portola and Father Serra, encountered health issues and logistical setbacks. Serra's leg was severely ulcerated, but he refused to abandon the mission, relying on faith and a mule handler's treatment. After a grueling overland journey, they arrived in San Diego in July 1769, only to find that one of their support ships was lost, and the remaining crew was suffering from scurvy. With dwindling supplies and men, Portola sent one ship back to Mexico for help and continued northward, leaving Serra to establish the first mission. The mission faced resistance from the native population, who were not receptive to the Spanish way of life and were unhappy with the intruders.
🛡️ Native Resistance and the San Diego Mission Crisis
On August 15th, 1769, the native population around the San Diego mission launched a surprise attack, aiming to drive the Spanish away. Despite being outnumbered, the Spanish soldiers successfully defended the mission. Captain Portola's return to San Diego six months later was marked by further hardship, as the resupply ship he had dispatched had not returned. Facing the prospect of abandoning the mission due to starvation, Father Serra prepared to stay behind, undeterred by the risk to his life. In a last-ditch effort, Serra led a novena in honor of St. Joseph, and on the feast day, a ship with supplies appeared, saving the mission. With renewed hope, the mission expanded, and Serra began his efforts to learn the native language and attract converts.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Land Rush
💡California Missions
💡Franciscan Priests
💡Gaspar de Portola
💡Junipero Serra
💡Indigenous Population
💡El Camino Real
💡Scurvy
💡Cultural Conflict
💡Novena
💡St. Joseph's Feast Day
Highlights
In the mid-18th century, a land rush for control of California's wilderness developed in the name of Spain.
An unlikely group of soldiers and priests embarked on an epic quest to establish settlements along the west coast of North America.
The California wilderness was vast and largely unexplored, with early accounts filled with fanciful descriptions of its inhabitants.
California was home to over 63 tribes, with a population of nearly 340,000, making it one of the most densely inhabited areas in North America.
In 1767, King Carlos III of Spain approved a plan to establish permanent settlements in California to counter English and Russian explorers.
The Spanish colonization system involved both the church and the state in an interlocking directorate.
Captain Gaspard de Portola led the expedition, representing the military and demonstrating great tact and spiritual understanding.
Junipero Serra, a Franciscan missionary, saw converting the natives of California as his life's calling despite his advanced age.
A subtle power struggle emerged between Serra and Portola over the primary purpose of the expedition.
The first part of the expedition faced setbacks, including disease and the loss of a support ship.
Father Serra's leg was healed by an old mule handler using animal salve, marking the first of several miraculous events.
The expedition arrived in San Diego on July 1st, 1769, to find their situation dire with few men and low food supplies.
Father Serra and eight soldiers were left behind to establish the mission while the rest of the expedition sought supplies.
The natives initially resisted the Spanish, refusing their food and attacking the San Diego mission.
Despite being outnumbered, the Spanish soldiers successfully repelled a native attack on the San Diego mission.
Father Serra faced the prospect of abandoning his mission project due to the lack of resupply and the expedition's failure.
A novena to St. Joseph resulted in the miraculous appearance of a resupply ship, saving the mission project.
Father Serra began traveling to native villages, learning their language to attract converts and strengthen the mission.
Transcripts
in the mid 18th century a land rush
developed for control of the vast
California wilderness in the name of
Spain an unlikely group of soldiers and
priests undertook an epic quest to
establish settlements along the
treacherous west coast of North America
forever changing the future of
California and its natives join us for a
journey filled with wondrous miracles
and bitter acts of betrayal as we go in
search of history to explore the saints
and sinners of the California missions
in the 1700s the west coast of North
America was a wild and unsettled land
nothing much had changed since the first
european juan Rodriguez Cabrillo had set
foot in California in 1542 and claimed
it for the Spanish monarchy in fact so
little was known about the region that
some cartographers still incorrectly
pictured California as a large island
early accounts of the California natives
were equally as fanciful with sailors
describing everything from a race of
man-eating monsters to a band of
beautiful female warriors clad in gold
in truth California was home to more
than 63 tribes of hunters and gatherers
with an abundance of natural resources
coastal California supported an
indigenous or Aboriginal population of
nearly three hundred and forty thousand
making it one of the most densely
inhabited areas in North America the
natives lived a rich and relatively
peaceful existence but they had no idea
that their world was about to be torn
apart in 1767 King Carlos the third of
Spain received word that English and
Russian explorers were heading towards
California to solidify the tenuous
Spanish claim that Juan Cabrillo had
made 200 years earlier the king approved
the bold plan to establish permanent
Spanish settlements in the California
wilderness
Spanish system with colonization
involved both church and States in kind
of an interlocking directorates it's an
expedition which is supposed to plant
the Spanish flag and the Christian cross
in Alta or new California Carlos the
third decreed that Franciscan priests
accompanied by a small group of soldiers
would depart from Mexico on an
expedition to establish Spanish missions
along the coast of California
representing the military was captain
Gaspard de Portola a lifelong soldier he
possessed great tact and spiritual
understanding these qualities made him
uniquely suited to lead this delicate
alliance between the sacred and the
secular Portola was a friend of the
church er he was they were all friends
of the church because they were
Spaniards in they were all Catholics but
as friends of the church they were kinds
of people who were not taken with
everything that the church did the
church basically was from their point of
view an arm of the state
representing that arm was the bookish
and frail Franciscan missionary Junipero
Serra
although the 56 year old Padre seemed an
odd choice to lead the mission Sara felt
that converting the natives of
California was the calling of his life
but that Junipero Serra in particular
stands out as an extraordinary
individual practiced both in holiness
and in learning who is willing to give
everything that he had his health in
particular to the welfare of people
whose welfare he considered to be in
jeopardy
outwardly father Sarah and captain
Portola exhibited a strong rapport but
beneath the surface a subtle power
struggle was beginning to take shape
the reason was that there was a
fundamental disagreement about what this
sacred expedition was all about was it
to convert the Indians or was its
primary purpose to establish a Spanish
military presence in new California so
what you had right from the beginning
was a series of conflicting
interpretations of this movement for a
time all conflicts were put aside as the
first part of the expedition set sail
from La Paz Mexico On January 9th 1769
the 219 soldiers sailors and priests of
the mission expedition were divided into
two groups the advance party comprised
of three ships filled with supplies left
first to prepare for the arrival of the
other men
the bulk of the expedition would travel
over land under the direct command of
captain Portola and father Serra
if all went well both expeditions would
rendezvous in three or four months near
the bay of San Diego the second mission
would be built at Monterey Bay 370 miles
to the north between these two anchors
19 more missions would eventually be
built each spaced about one day's travel
from the next a road called El Camino
Rail would link them all serving as a
tenuous lifeline for this chain of
wilderness outposts as far as the
Spanish Gloria lover Minh which was
headquartered in Mexico City was
concerned California was sort of the end
of the world the land-based port a la
expedition faced setbacks from the start
a mosquito bite on father Sarah's leg
became ulcerated making it impossible
for him to sleep or walk
expedition leader Gaspar de Portola did
not want father Serra jeopardizing the
entire endeavor and insisted that he
withdraw the padre steadfastly refused
I trust in God who will give me the
strength to arrive a San Diego even if I
die on the road I will not go back
father Serra placed his faith in prayer
and an old mule handler who healed his
leg with animal salve it would be the
first in a series of extraordinary
events surrounding the holy man several
times in Sara's life there were
incidences which seemed to be miraculous
and of course it did work as we know
from the story and he was able to
continue on the journey overland to San
Diego
after four months of laborious overland
travel through the endless deserts of
Baja California Sarah and Portola
arrived in San Diego on July 1st 1769
they soon learned that one of the
support ships had been lost at sea and
the sailors of the two that remained had
been ravaged by a deadly disease
had they known more about the native
foods in the area they would have
certainly had very few problems with the
disease many were suffering from which
was scurvy there was really plenty of
food in the area but not knowing how to
treat it at that time they didn't
realize that the remedies were well on
hand with fewer than half of the
original 219 men still alive and food
supplies at a dangerously low level
their situation was dire captain Portola
sent one of the surviving ships the San
Antonio back to Mexico for more supplies
then he pressed North by land for
Monterrey leaving father Serra and eight
soldiers behind to care for the sick and
establish the mission
in his first letter from Alta California
father Sarah described the difficult
path they had taken let those who are to
come here as missionaries not imagine
that they are coming for any other
purpose but to endure hardships for the
love of God and for the salvation of
souls though intent on saving native
Souls through baptism the missionary
soon found what a difficult task that
would be the Indians wanted nothing to
do with their religion or lifestyle
Indians absolutely refused to eat the
food offered by the Spaniards in fact
why would they want to eat their food
they had plenty of their own food they
had got along just fine for thousands of
years clothed fed and organiser
societies into societies that would not
be pleased the Europeans but
nevertheless were self-sufficient from a
native point of view
the Indians were unhappy with the
Spanish intruders and showed their
displeasure by stealing from them
nothing was safe not even the sheets on
which sick men were lying father Serra
dismissed these acts in a kindly but
condescending fashion
as the Indians were viewed more as
children the missionaries didn't
consider them equals in that sense that
they were not capable of reasoning like
adults so they would treat them that way
as children on August 15th 1769 Sara's
children suddenly turned violent a large
contingent of Indians launched a
surprise attack against the fledgling
San Diego mission intent on driving the
Spaniards away the natives had chosen
their moment perfectly with half of the
soldiers away on patrol only for
military men remained to defend the
mission Sara stayed in the chapel during
the attack praying that none of the
unbaptized natives will be killed
although fiercely outnumbered the four
soldiers of the missions successfully
repelled the Indians all native arrows
proved no match for the Spanish biscuits
captain Portola and the men of his
expedition finally limped back into San
Diego six months after their departure
they returned on the 24th of January of
1770
having suffered much of having eaten
their mules and of not having found any
such place as Monterey
Portola was distressed to find that the
ship San Antonio which he had sent back
for supplies six months earlier had not
yet returned without additional food
captain Portola knew his men would soon
starve the only option was to declare
the mission project a failure and
retreat to Mexico the decision was a
bitter blow to father Serra who was
about to see his lifelong aspiration
abandoned before it even started
with the fledgling San Diego mission on
the brink of starvation
Father Junipero Serra was faced with the
prospect of abandoning his heart's
desire
the California mission project
a key resupply ship had not been heard
from in eight months and mission leader
Gaspar de Portola prepared to retreat to
Mexico by land secretly father Serra
made plans to remain behind alone he
refused to abandon his calling to
convert the natives even if it meant
sacrificing his own life meanwhile
publicly the Padre begged captain
Gaspard de portola to delay the group's
departure for nine days until March 19th
the feast day of the expedition's patron
st. Joseph's sera decided for one more
try he decided on a novena which is a
set of prayers that are said over a
period of nine days in honor of a
particular Saint in this case Saint
Joseph so he had everyone assembled go
through the prayers every day in honor
of Saint Joseph but March 19th arrived
without any sign of the errant ship
lookouts kept a constant vigil
throughout the day even as final
preparations were being made for
departure
then just before sunset st. Joseph
answered father Sarah's prayer
a white sail suddenly appeared on the
distant horizon
ever afterward for the rest of Sara's
life a high mass at each mission was
always celebrated on the 19th of every
month in honor of st. Joseph's captain
Portola and his men used the newly
arrived supplies to strengthen and
expand the mission compound father Serra
began traveling out to the native
villages learning their language and
redoubling his effort to attract
converts it took nearly seven months
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