Spanish Heritage in the United States, California Missions

Spanish Heritage in the United States: California.
The first European to explore the California coast was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Landing on September 28, 1542, on the shores of San Diego Bay, he claimed California for Spain. He also landed on San Miguel, one of the Channel Islands, and continued as far as Pt. Reyes. After his death the crew continued exploring as far north as Oregon.
In 1602, 60 years after Cabrillo, the Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored California's coastline from San Diego to Monterey Bay. He named San Diego Bay and held the first Christian church service recorded in California on the shores of San Diego Bay. He also provided detailed charts of the coastal waters of Monterrey, which were used for nearly 200 years.
Spanish missionaries had been establishing missions in present-day Baja California since 1697. The first permanent European settlement in present-day California ("Alta California") was the Mission San Diego de Alcala, established in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra. Eventually 21 missions were established along the California coast, linked by the mission trail El Camino Real. The Spanish treated Baja California and Alta California as a single administrative unit, part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, with Monterey as its capital.

The missions of California were Spanish settlements, initiated by Spanish King Charles III and built between 1769 and 1823. The Spanish had already claimed this land over 200 years earlier, but didn't start settling it until Russia started a plan to settle the area. The missions were a way of laying claim the area to Spain.

Missions were chosen as the first settlements as a way of creating a unified system of commerce for the whole area in advance of the founding of towns and cities. The Spanish decided to create farms, each located 1 day's journey away from the next. This would ensure a contiguous trade route along the coast (they were built near the coast to have easy access to future sea ports).

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[suryavajra]

And I just noticed we met awhie back!! lol! How are you Explorer? How are things at your end??

[explorersl]

@suryavajra, pleased to meet you again. My best wishes to you.

[SpanishLegacy]

Hispanic people in USA deserves more recognition by the U.S. society... historically are part of the USA, more than anglos...

[joh3628]

I'm from Tejas(Texas) Viva Espana and Viva USA! FTW

[explorersl]

@calman1951, well, it's difficult to judge the past with current standards. But you can see the results in the present days. You can evaluate the trace of Native American peoples in both societies. Spanish controled areas VS English ruled zones. The difference is that north of the Mexico-USA border, there is almost no contribution from autoctonous natives to the present socitey. While south of the border the population, the traditions and culture are mestizo (mixed), they survived.

[calman1951]

@SAACAAS Alot of what You say but dont overlook the fact Natives Here and Canada are way better off.And Spanish greed for gold and the Church destroyed most of the artifacts of the Incas,Mayans and Aztecs.And when Spain built the Missions Here in California how did They treat the Natives?

[SrNutritivo]

beautiful places!

[explorersl]

@SAACAAS, si je, je, qué bueno, eso nos pasa a muchos. Puede que tengas razón. Vivimos en una época que no nos corresponde, pero no podemos viajar al pasado, lástima. Lo cierto es que tampoco los tiempos pasados vuelven. Pero si podemos aprender del pasado (y valorarlo), corregir sus errores, perfeccionarlo y crear una sociedad más justa en el futuro. Saludos.

[SAACAAS]

@jacobR1377 Shut up!. Stop Bitching!. USA and England killed and inslaved native people and black people. Do you remember: Apartheid, Ku Klux Klan .. no? It's recent, hypocrite!. The Spanish abolished slavery longtime before than the British did. Spain was a pioneer in giving same rights to Native Americans. In fact the Spaniards married with Native Americans. Look, how many, natives live in Iberoamerica compared with Indians that live in USA or Canadá (today). Genocide silenced, cowboy. Blurb.

[SAACAAS]

@explorersl A mí...pero reconozco que soy él único de mi especie por aquí. Los idealistas, Románticos escaseamos. Es muy frustrante tener que lidiar con una sociedad tan superficial e ignorante. Tus palabras me hacen ver que estoy en lo cierto, que no es solo imaginación mía. A veces deseo haber nacido en un tiempo anterior. Al ser Español, creo que tendría fácil elección (Siglo XV o XVI). Saludos.

[suryavajra]

@explorersl

Nice to meet you again!! I like the video you made about Leon....

[suryavajra]

@explorersl

It certainly is......As I said before here, I visited a hospital in California built in the same exact Spanish style, and the environment is so much more peaceful, relaxing and healing for the patients and their families than the downtown hospitals.

I'd definitely like to see a return of that architecture when it comes to homes, schools, hospitals, etc.