Summary: The Role Of The Mission Presidio System

The Role of the Mission-Presidio System in the Early Development of California

Characterized by several stages of development, the modern state of California witnessed a myriad of hurdles during the period of Spanish and Mexico invasion. The predicaments faced by the Native Americans are seen to have accelerated with the intrusion of the Spanish rule and its exercise of colonial power over the Mission Indians. Although the native dwellers of California did not a lead a politically stable life before its colonization, Mission Indians enjoyed a period of social stability with strength in local governance. The onset of the Spanish and Mexico rule saw the opening up of the state to more immigrants and imperialist through routes that were created

Since resistance was much expected from the locals, the Spanish and Mexico imperialists devised the use of presidios so that they would be safer from all manners of coldhearted rejection they would face from the natives. The Presidio system would, therefore, enable them to survive the unfriendly environment in which they were to earn a living through exploitation of resources, both natural and human power. The system involved the mounting of protected forts across their area of control, from where they would execute all their plans before embarking on a ground

Upon the introduction of Christianity to the natives in California, Spanish and Mexican Padres hoped to mitigate the hostility of some unwelcoming Mission Indians. The concept of the bible and the life that Christians were supposed to lead was deliberate as taught, with the hope that the teachings would change the seemingly bestial characters of the native Americans. However, despite having a population that heeded the teachings, a considerable number of natives led the protest and vengeful attacks against the Spanish rule. Similarly, in the vent that the duo imperialists attacked the natives, all members of the Mission Indian community would gang up and resist, or even conduct a manhunt for the killers (Williams 28). Such rebellion was dire and therefore, the rulers had to design a fortress in which they would hide from the perceived vehemence of the oppressed. The Presidio was used to hide key figures who were hunted by the locals after committing heinous or unaccepted actions against their will. Similarly, it was a fortress in which all members of the ruling outfit hide and planned attacks on organized groups of locals who were perceived to be revolutionary and defying or mobilizing locals to defy the imperialist’s