Spanish Settlement in California - Assignment Example

During his voyage, he and his three ships stopped at a place called Ballast Point. Although the Spanish ships would frequently sail down the coast of California as they came from the Philippines with treasure, it took them a period of approximately 200 years before they settled there.

The reason why Spain decided to settle in California was that they saw Russia as a potential threat to them. This is because the Russian traders were moving down the coast from the Bering Sea and had reached Farallon Islands by 1765 which were off of San Francisco. Spain planned on colonizing Alta California as a means of keeping the Russians away from it. The plan was drawn up by Inspector-General José de Gálvez, the project was led by Don Gaspár de Portolá whereas Blessed Junipero Serra was the one in charge of the missionaries.

In the year 1769 many expeditions were set out where 219 people made it. Junipero Serra also on that year raised the first cross on a mission site (Starr 49).
Junipero Serra was a man who made a lot of significance in California history. He was born in the year 1713 and grew up as an educated person. At 36 years old, he joined a group of missionaries who were going out to Mexico and in December 1745 he arrived there with his companions. He volunteered for 8 years to go to the mission field in northeastern Mexico where he established a successful mission system.

From the year 1758 to 1767 he preached all over Mexico, served as a home missionary and was the commissioner of the Holy Office. In the year 1767, he became the leader of the Jesuit missions in California Baja. This was after he arrived in Loreto in the year 1968 and set out to improve and expand his mission establishment. After arriving in San Diego he built the first mission plant and from there on dedicated his time and energy to his mission. By the year 1782, nine missions were founded by him. He achieved the goal of converting the Native Americans who were there to the Christian religion. Also while in his mission he introduced trade, domestic animals and new methods of agriculture. He is also known to have done everything possible that one can act so as to help the native in adapting to their new lives (Starr 52).

Sierra was also the founder of pueblos of San José and Los Angeles where he administered churches in these regions together with others in San Diego, San Francisco, Monterey and Santa Barbara. Through his constancy and devotion in his missionary effort, he was answerable for the development and growth of the Spanish in California. From assessing his role in the mission system I came to an agreement that Sierra was a saint and not a sinner. This was major because of his works; he helped a lot of the natives and again introduced Christianity as well as modernization to them. Read More