USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -According to 18th-century sources, three missions-San Francisco de los Neches, Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepcion and San Jose de los Nazonis-were built in 1730 on the Colorado River, mostly likely in or near Austin. They were moved in stages from East Texas after French incursions into that area.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Spanish missions were built near rivers or other important bodies of water. It was important for the missions to be located near water so that the people had easy access to stay hydrated as well as a mode of transportation to receive food and supplies.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Spanish missions in California (Spanish: Misiones españolas en California) formed a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California.

Detailed explanation-4: -Spain’s primary goals in establishing a settlement in San Antonio were to provide travelers “an intermediate point on the long route between… [the missions]…in eastern Texas and those on the Rio Grande” and to provide defense “against any further French designs on the Matagorda Bay region” (Hoffman 1935: 4).