They took possession in 1697 and built a Mission at San Dionisio, in Lower
California. By 1745, they had fourteen Missions established, all in what
is now Lower California. The Jesuits gave way to the Franciscan monks, and
these began in 1769 their first Mission in California proper, at San
Diego. One after another was added, until, in 1823, there were twenty-one
Franciscan Missions, stretching from San Diego to San Francisco. Each
mission had a piece of ground fifteen miles square. The center of the
Mission was the church, with cloisters where the monks lived. The houses
of the Indian converts—which were little huts—were grouped together about
the church, arranged in rows. Unmarried men were housed in a separate
building or buildings, as were young women also. During the sixty-five
years of these Missions about seventy-nine thousand converts were made.
Every one at these Missions was busy. The men kept the flocks and herds,
sheared the sheep, and cared for the fields and vines. Women cared for the
houses and the church. There was spinning, weaving, leather work, and
plenty else to be done. Still the Indians were not hard worked, and they
ought to have been happy. Their time was regularly planned out for them.
At sunrise all rose and went to mass; soon after mass breakfast was ready
and sent to the houses in baskets; then every one worked. At noon dinner
was sent around again from house to house; then came the afternoon work.
After evening mass, there was a supper of sweet gruel. There was a good
deal of time left after the services and work were through. The monks
allowed the Indians to keep up their native dances and amusements so far
as they believed them harmless.
Some persons seem to think that the monks made slaves of the Indians.
Rather they considered them children, who needed oversight, direction, and
sometimes punishment. However, the Indians were probably better dressed
and housed and fed than ever before, and, perhaps, happier. But the
Missions are now past. Their twenty-one old churches still stand,—our most
interesting historical relics,—but the Indian converts have scattered, and
in time they will forget, if they have not already forgotten, that they or
their people were ever Mission Indians.