By R.L. Cultrona
California Mission Facts
The California Missions are scattered throughout the state of California. These Missions were all built for the specific purpose of helping to settle California and are visited by millions of people each year.
Number of Missions
There are 21 different Missions located in California, ranging from the Mission San Diego de Alcala in San Diego to the Mission San Francisco Solano, a distance of over 500 miles.
Creation
The Mission system was founded by Father Junipero Sierra of Spain as an attempt to gain a foothold in the new territory and create population centers. Serra would only found nine of the twenty one missions.
Connected Missions
The trail which connected the Missions was "El Camino Real." This "trail" still exists today as a street through several of California's coastal cities.
Secularization
The Missions did not always stay in the hands of the Catholic Church. Once Mexico won their war of independence, its people seized most of the missions (only Santa Barbara escaped seizure) and gave them to ranchers. Only when the Americans took over California were they returned to the church.
Contributions
While the Missions were instrumental with bringing Christianity to California, they also are responsible for bringing livestock, fruit, flowers, and grain which hadn't been previously seen. They also brought industry to the Native Americans who lived throughout the area.
About the Author:
R.L. Cultrona is a San Diego native and a graduate of San Diego State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in theater, television and film with a minor in communications and political science. She began writing online instructional articles in June 2009.
Photo Credits:
http://barriosnet.com/img/calmissionmap.jpg
