DBQ 1 - Missions

Beauchamp 1
Jessica Beauchamp
September 22, 2014
Liberal Studies 375
Professor Cheek
Life on the Missions: A Negative Experience for the California Natives
Although Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered California in 1542, it wasnt until the
1770s that the Spanish built permanent settlements known as missions. These missions, founded
by Father Serra and Father Lassen, were built for two purposes: Missions secured the California
land for the Spaniards and were used to convert the California natives to Christianity and
Spanish customs. Life on the missions for the California natives was negative because they were
forced to do labor intensive work, were physically tormented, and were stripped of their
freedom.
When the Spaniards established their missions in California, they introduced a variety of
plants and animals to the region. This included grains, olives, grapes, figs, oranges, and
pomegranates. They also brought large herds of cattle and horses and huge flocks of sheep.1 As
a result, there was a large amount of work to be done on the missions. When the California
natives moved into the missions, they became slaves and were responsible for cultivating the
land and completing the various tasks around the mission. They did not receive help from the
soldiers or the priests. Father Junipero Serra and Father Mathias Antonio Noriega reported that
the natives do all kinds of mission labor, such as farm hands, herdsmen, cowboys, shepherds,
milkers, diggers, gardeners, carpenters, farmers, irrigators, reapers, and blacksmiths.2 Even
though the natives worked so hard, they would be treated cruelly and be kept whole days
without water.3 Unfortunately, the natives were not compensated for their work.
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Not only were the natives forced to do labor intensive work at the missions, but they were
physically punished by the soldiers if they did not adhere to the rules of the missions. One of the
Spaniards goals was to convert the Indians to Christianity. The soldiers would attend mass with
the natives to ensure that they were maintaining order. However, their tactics were harsh and
dehumanizing. In order to preserve silence and maintain their kneeling posture, the soldiers
would use whips, canes and goads, or sharp pointed sticks on the Indians. 4 Native women were
also physically tormented as they were mistreated and raped by the mission soldiers. The
soldiers would lasso Indian women--who then became prey for their unbridled lust. Several
Indian men who tried to defend the women were shot to death.5 Father Junipero Serra also wrote
about the soldiers sexually assaulting the native women after founding the mission at Monterey
in June 1770.6
After enduring intense labor and various forms of physical torment, the natives began to
resist and wanted to escape the mission lifestyle. The California natives were stripped of their
freedom since they were unable to leave the missions. According to George von Langsdorff, a
German visiting the missions, if a native had the opportunity to run away they were almost
always brought back to the mission, where an iron rod was fastened to one of his feet. This
prevented the Indian from making another attempt to escape, and had the effect of terrifying the
others.7
When the missions in California were established, the goal was to the convert the
California natives to Spanish customs and Christianity. Little did the natives know that they
would have to do labor intensive work, be physically tormented, and lose their freedom. Overall,
Spanish settlement dramatically changed the life of the California natives and the biological
makeup of California forever.
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Notes
1. Ansary, Mir Tamin (2003). California History. Heineman: Chicago, IL.
2. Monterey California, July 1, 1784. Father Juniperro Serra and Father Mathias Antonio
Noriega, Report on the Missions.
3. 1799, Padre Antonio de la Concepcion Horra of Mission San Miguel reporting to the
New Spain viceroy.
4. 1826, English visitor Frederick William Beechy described Indians attending church
(mass) with the soldiers
5. Chan, Sucheng and Spencer Olin. Major Problems in California History. (Boston:
Wadsworth, 1997), 75.
6. Ibid., 76.
7. 1806, George von Langsdorff, a German visitor describing the outcome of escape
attempts

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