Mexican Philosophy Chapter 4

In chapter four, Menchaca discussed how the Spanish during the late seventh century colonized Texas and Arizona to increase their power and control over the Southwest. The Spanish sent their military powers and church friars to set up forts and missions to control the large vast areas of land. Menchaca discussed the history of Texas 's founding and how it came into the possession of the Spanish. The Spanish wanted to settle in Texas because of possible threats of from the French invading their settled land. They set up missions as a way to protect their new conquered land. Within these new missions, the Spanish converted the natives to Christianity. At first, many of the missions settled were successful and strong. However, due to the lack of resources and Indians invasions, many missions failed. Over several years, the Spanish were able to control

I felt that the mission system destroyed many indigenous people 's cultures and forced them to adapt to Spanish customs and ideas. It hard for me to picture that little fourth graders learning about the mission systems in California do not get expose to the real injustices and suffering many native tribes encountered. I remember my little sister creating a mission project for her class and not knowing what it really signified. The mission projects my sister had to create glorified an era and glossed over both Spanish and Mexican exploitation of Indians, as well as American enslavement of those same Indians during American rule. Menchaca discussed how the Spanish imposed their way of life on the natives in both Texas and Arizona in order to control a vast territory. Few tribes such as the Apache fought and revisited Spanish influence in their lands. Unfortunately, over the years, they would fall victim to American colonization of the