Spanish Colonial Unit Vocabulary

Lesson 60 min. After this introduction to the unit vocabulary, students will know how to use social studies terminology correctly, including Catholicism, colonization, friar, mission, missionary, presidio, priest, and smallpox. Brought to you by The Portal to Texas History

TEKS:

7.22(A) 7.3(B)

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Description

Vocabulary Terms

caste system: a social class structure determined by birth
Catholicism: the faith and practice of the Catholic church
colonization: the process of setting up a territory under the control of a distant country
Criollo: someone of Spanish descent
friar: a Catholic living under vows to God. In Texas, friars (along with priests and missionaries) attempted to spread the Catholic faith at the missions
Mestizo: someone of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage
mission: Spanish settlements designed to convert Native American tribes to Christianity
missionary: someone who is sent to spread religion in a foreign area or country
Peninsular: people born in Spain. They were typically at the top of the Spanish caste system
presidio: a Spanish fort or military outpost oftentimes designed to protect the missions
priest: leader or minister of a Catholic church
smallpox: a contagious disease that killed many American Indians during the establishment of Spanish missions
Tejano: someone of Mexican descent who considers Texas their home
Viceroy: representative who ruled one of Spain’s provinces in the Americas in the king’s name

Key People

Alonso de León: Spanish explorer and soldier who found Fort St. Louis abandoned and later helped establish the first Spanish mission in east Texas, San Francisco de los Tejas
Antonio Margil de Jesús: Spanish missionary who helped establish the relatively successful San José y San Miguel de Aguayo mission in San Antonio
Damián Massanet: Spanish priest who helped establish the first Spanish mission in East Texas, San Francisco de los Tejas
Francisco Hidalgo: Spanish priest who supported the establishment of missions in east Texas. His work and attempts to get the French involved with the missions led to permanent European occupation of Texas

Major Events

First Missions in East Texas: In 1690, a soldier named Alonso de Leon and a priest named Damian Mazanet led a party of soldiers and priests into Texas in order to establish missions near the Caddos, in a region that was inaccessible by sea and at least 600 miles away from any other Spanish settlement. They established two missions near Nacogdoches. Mazanet wanted only a handful of soldiers to stay in the area so relations between the natives and friars weren’t undermined. The missions quickly fell apart and the Caddos forced the friars out
Founding of:; San Antonio - 1718; La Bahia (Goliad) - 1722; San Saba Mission - 1757