Life in Spanish TX Key

Missions, Presidios, and Civil Settlements

Missions

0MISSIONS-religious center0 taught Native Americans the Spanish way of life0 Native Americans taught Christianity, cooking, farming,

weaving, carpentry, blacksmithing0 food was plentiful-meat and milk-cattle, sheep, goats;

corn, beans, cantaloupes, cucumbers, watermelon, chiles, peaches, pimento, sweet potatoes

0 Problems-Native Americans refused to stay, did not want to be farmers, did not want to leave their way of life behind

0 Crops watered through irrigation, not with mission well

Presidio

0PRESIDIO-military outpost0 protected mission and civil settlement0 brought families with them to live0 Problems-difficult living conditions, dangerous work,

poorly equipped

Civil Settlement

0CIVIL SETTLEMENT-city/town/settlement on the frontier0 San Antonio was largest and the capital0 people in San Antonio had some voice in government-

elected city council and chief official0 Maria Betancour-owned 26 acres, had her own brand0 Problems-life was difficult, Native American raids, little

voice in govt.