In 1687 Jesuit missionary, explorer, and mapmaker Eusebio Francisco Kino set out from Mexico City as a missionary to establish missions in Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona. This area was primarily inhabited by the O’odham tribe, which the Spaniards called Pima. The combination of economic planning and a broad tolerance for Indian customs was the basis of Kino’s success in his campaign of peaceful conquest. A born organizer, Kino provided a sound economic base for his missions, teaching the people to raise cattle and grow new crops like wheat. Today, the Sonoran desert on both sides of the international border is dotted with the remains of these missions.
Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción
Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas, Tumacácori
Mission San José de Tumacácori, Tumacácori
Presidio of San Ignacio de Tubac, Tubac
San Xavier del Bac Mission, Tuscon
The Spanish did not seriously explore California until 1769, when explorer Gaspar de Portolá led an expedition into the area. With him was Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra, who would establish several mission communities to stop other countries from settling in the region. Serra founded the Mission San Diego de Alcalá, in present-day San Diego, as the first of nine California missions he established during his lifetime. The work continued after his death, and between 1769 and 1823, a total of 21 missions were built that extended for 650 miles along the California coast.
Mission La Purísima Concepción, Lompoc
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, San Luis Obispo
Mission San Antonio de Padua, Jolon
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Mary, Soledad
Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, Carmel
Mission San Diego de Alcalá, San Diego
Mission San Fernando Rey de Españam Los Angeles
Mission San Francisco de Asís, San Francisco
Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, San Gabriel
Mission San José, Fremont
Mission San Juan Bautista, San Juan Bautista
Mission San Juan Capistrano, Capistrano
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside
Mission San Miguel Arcángel, San Miguel
Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer, Imperial County
Mission San Rafael Arcángel, San Rafael
Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara
Mission Santa Clara de Asís, Santa Clara
Mission Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
Mission Santa Inés, Solvang
Presidio of Monterey, Monterey
Presidio of San Diego
Mission building by the Spanish in the United States first occurred in Florida. The first known mission was established in about 1526, and over the next 180 years, well over 100 mission centers were built to Christianize the natives. These missions spanned from present-day Miami, north to the Chesapeake Bay, and west to Pensacola. However, by 1680, the Spanish faced mounting pressure from English colonists in South Carolina, and the natives allied with them. Between that time and 1706, mission populations were killed or escaped to St. Augustine, held by the Spanish until 1763. Today, only a handful of mission locations have been found and excavated, and only two sites are open to the public.
Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine
Nombre de Dios, St. Augustine
San Luis de Apalachee, Tallahassee
In 1598 Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate led 400 colonists to the lands along the Rio Grande north of present-day El Paso. The new colonists were to engage in ranching, while 12 Franciscan missionaries were to provide the local Pueblo Indians with religious instruction. Initially, the Pueblo people didn’t outwardly resist the missionaries, but this began to change in the 1670s when famine, disease, and mounting war casualties convinced most Pueblos that they had been wrong to accept the outsiders’ religion. In August 1680, the pueblos, under the leadership of Popé, attacked the Spanish colonists, killed 21 of the 33 missionaries, burned churches, and destroyed records. The Spanish then fled the area and didn’t return for 12 years.
Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Zuni
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Quarai, Mountainair
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Porciúncula, Pecos
Mission San Agustin de Isleta, Isleta
Mission San Esteban del Rey de Acoma, Acoma
Mission San Gregorio de Abó, Mountainair
Mission San José de Laguna, Laguna
Mission San Juan Bautista, Ohkay Owingeh
Mission San Miguel de Socorro
Mission Santo Domingo
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
San Buenaventura de Cochiti
San Buenaventura de las Humanas and San Isidro – Gran Quivira, Mountainair
San Estevan del Rey Mission Church
San Francisco de Asís Mission Church, Ranchos de Taos
San Geronimo de Taos, Taos
San Ildefonso Pueblo
San José de Gracia de Las Trampas
San José de los Jémez Mission and Gíusewa Pueblo
San Lorenzo de Picuris
San Miguel Mission, Santa Fe
Santa Clara Mission Church
Two Spanish missions were founded in east Texas in the late 17th century to stop the French from settling in the area. However, because of the hostility of the natives, they were abandoned in 1693. They were later reestablished, but by 1773, they had declined in importance, and most settlers moved to San Antonio. Five missions were built along the San Antonio River that flourished throughout the 18th century.
Mission Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta Sur, El Paso
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción del Pueblo de Socorro, Socorro
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña, San Antonio
Mission San Antonio de Valero – The Alamo, San Antonio
Mission San Francisco de la Espada, San Antonio
Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio
Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, San Antonio
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Bahía del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga, Goliad
Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá and Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, Menard
Presidio de la Bahía, Goliad
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated March 2023.
Also See:
A Day in the Life of a Spanish Missionary