-
California Missions: 50 Interesting Facts
The California missions are home to fascinating stories and interesting facts. The following is a list 50 things you might not know about the missions– but there are many more to discover. Pirate Raid In 1818, a French privateer named Hippolyte Bouchard (known in Spanish as Hipólito Bouchard), led a series of raids along the coast of Alta California. Bouchard attacked the Presidio of Monterey and attempted to raid the presidio and mission of Santa Barbara, as well as Mission San Juan Capistrano, before returning to South America. Indian Cowboys Some of the earliest vaqueros (cowboys) were Native Americans working on mission ranchos. Vaqueros had a high social status at the missions, and many later…
-
Native Americans of Southern California: the Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay are indigenous people who live on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California. They traditionally spoke languages related to each other, and many were connected to Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The Kumeyaay Name In times past, because the Kumeyaay were spread over such a large territory that they simply identified themselves with their individual clan or family. The name Kumeyaay (or Kamia) originally to referred to people in the south of the territory. After the Spanish arrived in the 18th century, many Kumeyaay from different clans came to be associated with Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The Spanish therefore referred to them…
-
How Did the California Missions End?
The California missions ended after Mexico became independent of Spain. The newly independent Mexican government eventually passed laws that called for an end to the mission system through a process called “secularization.” Secularization: The end of the Spanish missions in California To visit the California missions today is an impressive experience. The church buildings, gardens and grounds are beautiful and well-maintained, and harken back to an earlier, more romantic period. Museum displays tell of the history of the missions, and gift shops offer all sorts of keepsakes to take with us. But if we were to travel back in time to a little over 100 years ago, we would probably…
-
Mission San Diego in 3D
I am a big fan of old stereo photos. As a child I loved to look at View-Master reels, especially the ones with views of far away places. To look at these places through a 3D viewer gave me the impression that I was actually visiting the places. For a moment I was transported to a fascinating place, standing in the middle of a new landscape that I could almost touch.
