USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The main goal of the California missions was to convert Native Americans into devoted Christians and Spanish citizens. Spain used mission work to influence the natives with cultural and religious instruction.

Detailed explanation-2: -Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as educational or hospital work. Sometimes individuals are sent and are called missionaries, and historically may have been based in mission stations.

Detailed explanation-3: -Hundreds of white and black missionaries went to the American south after the Civil War, where in addition to religious goals they tried to ameliorate the conditions of white racism and black poverty which still prevailed there despite the outcome of the war and the freeing of the slaves.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Europeans tried to convert them because they thought the natives had no God, but how were they to know that when they took no time to learn about the native culture? It is not safe to make assumptions about someone else’s culture when one has not taken the time to get to know it.

Detailed explanation-5: -They believed that they were given the divine right and responsibility of Christianizing as many parts of the world as possible. Missionaries themselves were motivated by the desire to construct the Americas as the site of pure Christianity.