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VOICE ONE:
I’m Faith Lapidus.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember withEXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today, we tell about the firstattempts to settle what is now the western state of California.These attempts began with Spanish settlers who built twenty-oneCatholic churches called missions. Our report is about thosechurches — the missions of California.
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VOICE ONE:
Our story begins in seventeen sixty-eight in Madrid, Spain. Theking of Spain, Charles the Third, had recently received reports thatworried him. The reports said Russian explorers were in the northernpart of the territory called California. Spain had claimed most ofthat area more than two hundred years earlier. But Spain had nosettlements in California. King Charles knew if the Russians beganto settle the area, Spain might lose control of California forever.
VOICE TWO:
King Charles decided the best way to keep the Spanish claim toCalifornia was to build settlements there. California had goodharbors for Spanish ships, good weather and good farmland.
King Charles decided to order the creation of a series of smallfarming communities along the Pacific Ocean coast of California. Thesettlements would provide trade and grow into larger cities. Spanishcitizens might want to settle there. Then the Spanish claim toCalifornia would be safe.
VOICE ONE:
But there was no one on the coast of California to begin thework. King Charles and his advisors decided that the farmingsettlements would begin with churches called missions. Missions wereplaces where Roman Catholic religious leaders converted people tothe Christian religion. They taught the religion to people whowanted to become members of the church.
King Charles decided Roman Catholic priests would build themissions and settlements with the help of Native American Indians.The priests would teach the native people the Christian religion,the Spanish language and how to farm.
A religious group within the Catholic Church called theFranciscans would build the settlements. The Franciscans chose ayoung priest named Junipero Serra to begin the work.
VOICE TWO:
Many history experts say the Spanish government and the CatholicChurch could not have chosen a better person for the task thanJunipero Serra.
Junipero Serra was born in seventeen thirteen on the island ofMallorca, Spain. After he became a Franciscan priest, he taught at auniversity in Mallorca.
Father Serra had always wanted to be a missionary. In seventeenforty-nine he sailed to Mexico to begin his life as a missionary. Hespent several years studying the languages and customs of nativepeople in Mexico.
In seventeen sixty-eight he was given the job of building thefirst of the California missions near the present day city of SanDiego.
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VOICE ONE:
Mission San Diego de Alcala began on July sixteenth, seventeensixty-nine. But before the mission was completed, Father Serradecided to move it. He did not like the way Spanish soldiersmistreated the Native Americans. He wanted to keep them separate. Hemoved the mission to an area that is still called Mission Valley.
The design of Mission San Diego de Alcala was similar to each ofthe missions that were built later. There was a large churchbuilding. A long wall formed a large square to the side and behindthe church. Large rooms inside and along the wall served asbedrooms, cooking areas, workshops, and classrooms. Usually, thecenter of the large square was left open. A garden with flowers wasplanted there.
VOICE TWO:
Junipero Serra’s plan for the missions along the California coastwas simple. Each would be about the same distance from each other.Members of the Franciscan religious group did not ride horses ortravel in wagons. They walked. The missions were built about oneday’s long walk from each other. This made it easier to travel,trade goods and share information.
The missions begin with San Diego de Alcala in the south. Theyend with San Francisco Solano about one thousand fifty kilometers tothe north. In time, the road from mission San Diego de Alcala tomission San Francisco Solano was given a name.
The Spanish name is still used today. It is “El Camino Real.” Itmeans the “The Royal Highway” or “The King’s Highway.” Most of thatold road is now part of the California highway system. Millions ofpeople use the road every day as they drive from San Diego to SanFrancisco.
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VOICE ONE:
Many people have criticized the mission system of settlementbecause it changed the way of life for the Native Americans inCalifornia. Critics say many Native Americans were forced to work atthe missions. They say many were forced to become members of theChristian religion. And many were treated badly by Spanish soldiersand died because of mistreatment or disease.
However, other experts say that Junipero Serra demanded that thepriests and soldiers treat the Native Americans with respect. Manyof the Native Americans accepted the Christian religion, learned tofarm and helped the missions become valuable settlements.
Many other Native Americans did not. Some did not want to changethe way they lived so they moved away from the missions. Many NativeAmericans believed they would be forced into a new way of life. Inseventeen seventy-six, a group of Indians attacked the San Diegomission and burned it. Eight months later, the mission was rebuiltwhere it still stands today.
VOICE TWO:
King Charles’s plan was a success. Settlements grew from themissions along the California coast. Some of those along El CaminoReal became major cities — San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara,San Jose, and San Francisco, to name only a few. Junipero Serra wasresponsible for building nine of the missions. One of these wasMission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo in the present city ofCarmel. It became his headquarters and the headquarters for all ofthe California missions. In seventeen eighty-four, Junipero Serradied of tuberculosis at mission San Carlos. He was buried in thefloor of the Mission San Carlos Church.
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VOICE ONE:
The missions of California faced difficult times during theeighteen hundreds. In eighteen twenty-two, California became part ofMexico, which had just won its independence from Spain. But theMexican government could not pay the cost of keeping the missions.
In eighteen thirty-four, the Mexican government sold much of themission land and some of the buildings. Several missions remainedpart of the communities they helped to build. But many became littlemore than ruins. Some of the land and the missions were returned tothe Catholic Church.
In the eighteen forties, Mexico had trouble controlling theAmerican settlers in California. In eighteen forty-six, the settlersdeclared California a republic. Less than two years later, theUnited States gained control of California during the Mexican War.
During this period, the Catholic Church tried to keep control ofthe missions. They were only partly successful. However, in eighteensixty-three President Abraham Lincoln signed a law that said alltwenty-one missions in California would be returned to the CatholicChurch. They have remained so ever since.
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Today, the people of California consider the missions a treasure.Eighteen of the twenty-one are still active Catholic churches.
All of the missions are museums that teach the early history ofCalifornia. Many visitors come to the missions to see the beautifulbuildings. Several of the missions have become famous. One exampleis the Mission San Juan Capistrano. It was planned and built byJunipero Serra.
Each year, on the same day, at almost the same hour, thousands ofbirds called swallows return to the mission. They return from theirwinter homes thousands of kilometers to the south. The swallowsarrive on March nineteenth. They build nests and raise their youngin the old mission. They leave on October twenty-third. One storysays the birds have been late only once because of a storm at sea.Everyone agrees that Junipero Serra would have loved the beautifulswallows of Capistrano.
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VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Paul Thompson. It was produced byJill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for Explorations inVOA Special English.