Guide to visiting all 21 missions

Early Explorers

Juan Cabrillo (1542) – first European to explore the coast

Sir Francis Drake (1579) – sailed up the Pacific coast and raided Spanish ships

Sebastian Vizcaino (1602) – mapped the coast and renamed many places from San Diego to Monterey

What did the early explorers learn?

Very difficult to sail north to Alta California from Mexico due to the contrary currents and headwinds

There did not appear to be any mineral wealth or cities rich in gold in Alta California 

Bottom line – Settlement of Alta California just wasn’t thought to be worth it – too remote & difficult to reach by land or sea

About 160 years later …

The Spanish finally decide to colonize Alta California

Russian fur traders were coming down the coast from Alaska

In short, the need to settle Alta California was defensive – the lucrative Manila galleon trade threatened

“Sacred Expedition” of 1769

Presidios and missions were to be established beginning with the known harbors of San Diego and Monterey

The expedition would have 5 groups:  2 parties would travel overland; 3 ships would carry equipment/supplies to provision the forts and missions –  they would first meet up in San Diego

Why rely on missions? Why not towns?

Very few people from New Spain (Mexico) were willing to settle permanently in Spain’s most distant colony – but Junipero Serra and the Franciscans were willing

Spanish colonial playbook:  convert native inhabitants and teach them Spanish trades, language, agriculture and religion. Eventually, missions would be self sustaining

Mission Era

The first 9 Missions were developed under the Serra presidency

Another 9 Missions developed under Ferman de Lausen’s presidency;  another 3 were added later

By 1833, the Missions had been secularized by the Mexican government and mission lands divided