Spanish missions in Louisiana

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The Spanish missions in Louisiana were religious outposts in Spanish Louisiana (La Luisiana) region of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, located within the present-day U.S. states of Louisiana and East Texas.

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They were established by Spanish missionaries for Indian Reductions of the local Native Americans.

Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais

Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais was named for the indigenous Ais people, a former local tribe.

It was established in 1716–1717 by the Domingo Ramón-St. Denis expedition, [1] and ceased operations in 1773. Its site is in San Augustine, Texas

Mission San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes

Mission San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes was the fifth mission established in eastern Tejas in 17161717. The mission was also established by the Domingo Ramón-St. Denis expedition [1] and was to serve the Adaes Indian village, just 20 miles (32 km) west of the French fort at Natchitoches, Louisiana. At that time the Spanish claimed the Red River to be the eastern boundary of New Spain, so the mission was considered part of Spanish Texas, despite the fact that New France claimed the Sabine River as the western boundary of La Louisiane.[ citation needed ]

The mission was attacked by French soldiers in 1719 and was abandoned. Three years later, the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo, Governor of Coahuila and Tejas when they were part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, reopened the mission, but at a location closer to the Presidio of Los Adaes. The mission remained open until 1773.

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Louis Juchereau de St. Denis French-Canadian soldier and explorer (1676–1744)

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José de Azlor y Virto de Vera, second Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo by marriage, commonly known as the Marqués de Aguayo, was the governor of the provinces of Coahuila and of the New Philippines in New Spain between 1719 and 1722. During his tenure, Aguayo retook eastern Texas from New France without firing a shot. He established or reestablished seven missions and three presidios, and quadrupled the number of Spanish soldiers stationed in Texas. Aguayo and his wife were also owners of a very large estate, or latifundio, in Coahuila. His descendants inherited and expanded the landholdings. The Aguayo dynasty continued until 1825.

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Isidro Félix de Espinosa (1679–1755) was a Franciscan missionary from New Spain who participated in several expeditionary missions throughout the province of Tejas. He was the president of the missionaries from the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro.

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Antonio Gil YBarbo

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José Domingo Ramón was a Spanish military man and explorer who founded several missions and a presidio in East Texas to prevent French expansion in the area.

References

  1. 1 2 Donald E. Chipman (2010). "RAMÓN, DOMINGO". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved August 13, 2020.