Clash of Cultures & the Discovery of Gold      123456

In 1769 the Spanish monarchy and Catholic Church of Spain began a campaign for the conquest of California.

With the support of King Carlos III of Spain, the Franciscan order of the Catholic Church set out to bring the Catholic faith and the Spanish crown to California. Franciscans migrated west from Spain to Baja California (Lower California, now the Mexican state of Baja California) and from the Spanish colony of New Mexico to Alta California (Upper California, now the U.S. state of California). The Franciscans believed in serving God through humble action and service to the poor. They referred to their work as "sacred expeditions." The Franciscan missionaries expected life on Earth to be difficult, but they believed in an afterlife, where the good and just would be with God.

Between 1769 and 1834, Spanish missionaries led by padres (priests) developed 21 religious outposts, called missions, along the Alta California coast. The missions were seen as extensions of the 29 missions the Spanish had already built in Spain-controlled Baja California.

Each mission in Alta California was built about a day's walk from the next. They were constructed near water sources, so the mission could develop self-sufficient agriculture. California Indians and Franciscans farmed mission land and grew crops such as wheat and corn.