Secularization Of California Indians In The 1830's

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Between 1830's and 1840's the life of the California Indians were brought down, and the wealthy Californios enjoyed the benefits. Since in 1824, a California governor tried to force the separation of Indians and the missions, and soldiers killed many Californian natives for their resistance. In 1833, General Jose Figueroa, governor of California, approved the law of secularization, which was the decision to take away the lands from the Missions and give them to the natives. This decision affected 18,000 mission Indians because most of them depended on the missions. With the secularization, Indians gained their freedom and received part of the missions' land; however, the natives did not have money and tools to work the land; thus, some