USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -How did families influence the colonization of East Texas settlements? The presence of families lessened the tensions between friars and soldiers. Families settled permanently and helped to grow settlements into towns. Families played a role in teaching native peoples at the settlements.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Spanish focused on settling in East Texas at first to shore up the northern border of New Spain against French encroachment. From East Texas, Franciscan priests and Spanish soldiers then established new missions and presidios along the Rio Grande and in West Texas.

Detailed explanation-3: -The first Spanish-speaking settlers began to group around the San Antonio River in 1718 when the mission and presidio (fort) were established.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Spanish established themselves in Texas by using the same system they had established in Arizona and New Mexico. Through missions, presidios, and an adjoining civilian community (a villa), missionaries and soldiers Christianized and Hispanicized the native population.

Detailed explanation-5: -First, the fields required irrigation and a system could only be set up along the valley’s upper ten miles. Second, the threat of attack from northern Indians was constant, and the missions needed to be near a presidio and each other for mutual protection. The missions were important to agricultural production.