2. The Californios
If Lewis and Clark had turned south from Oregon after reaching the Pacific, they would have found Spain’s best-kept secret: a sun-drenched land called California.
The California Missions In 1769, a Spanish missionary named Junípero Serra (who-NEE-peh-ro SEHR-ra) led soldiers and priests north from Mexico to California. Serra’s goal was to convert the Indigenous people of California to Christianity. To do this, he established a chain of missions that eventually stretched from San Diego to just north of San Francisco. Each mission controlled a huge area of land, and heavily armed soldiers made sure the Indigenous people worked it.
Although Indigenous residents of Spanish missions were legally free, their experiences were often similar to those of enslaved people. Indigenous people in California were subjected to harsh punishments. After converting to Christianity, they were confined to the mission. Those who tried to escape were pursued by soldiers, returned to the mission, and publicly whipped or tied to stakes and left in the hot sun. Between 1769 and 1833, more than 37,000 Indigenous people in California died at the missions, succumbing to injuries or to diseases brought by the Spanish.
When Mexico won its independence in 1821, California came under Mexican rule. In 1833, the Mexican government closed the missions. Half of the mission land was supposed to go to Indigenous groups. Instead, Mexico established its own system of land grants in the Southwest and gave most of California’s mission lands to soldiers and colonizers. The typical Spanish-speaking Californian, or Californio, was granted a rancho of 50,000 acres or more.
Life on the Ranchos Life on the ranchos combined hard work and the occasional fiesta, or social gathering. Most families lived in simple adobe houses with dirt floors. The Californios produced almost everything they needed at home. Indigenous servants did much of the work. Many Californios also forced Indigenous people off their land to expand their ranchos for livestock.
The ranchos were so huge that neighbors lived at least a day’s journey apart. As a result, strangers were always welcome for the news they brought of the outside world. During weddings and fiestas, Californios celebrated with singing, dancing, and brilliant displays of horsemanship.
In the 1830s, cattle ranching became California’s most important industry, with cattle providing hides and tallow (beef fat) that could be traded for imported goods brought by ship. Among the goods that an American sailor named Richard Henry Dana Jr. carried to California in his trading ship were teas, coffee, sugars, spices, raisins, molasses, hardware, dishes, tinware, cutlery, clothing, jewelry, and furniture.
Because California was so far from the capital in Mexico City, the Mexican government neglected the territory. Soldiers were not paid, and they took what they needed to survive from the people they were supposed to protect. Officials sent to govern California were often unskilled and sometimes dishonest. Mexican law technically protected the rights of Indigenous people, but Californios who violated those rights were rarely punished.
The Californios' Legacy In 1846, the United States captured California as part of the war with Mexico. Before long, Californios were a minority in California.
Still, the Californios left a lasting mark. California is full of Spanish place names such as San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The Californios also introduced many of California’s famous crops, such as grapes, olives, and citrus fruits. Most of all, they opened California to the world—and the world soon rushed in.
The prosperity and pride of the Californios is evident in this painting of a Spanish landowner and his wife with their laborers
The prosperity and pride of the Californios is evident in this painting of a Spanish landowner and his wife with their laborers
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what was supposed to happen to the missions when mexico won its independence from spain