Introduction
The history of the Spanish conquest of California and the establishment of missions is a complex and connected story. It involves religion, taking over land, and blending different cultures together. Chapter 2 of Pacific Eldorado talks about why Europeans, especially Spanish people, wanted to colonize places. It talks about the problems with the mission system and how Native people sometimes fought back against colonization. This review will look at how the author discusses certain topics and will also compare it to the classroom videos from my perspective.
Reasons for Spanish Colonization:
The book talks about how the Spanish people came to California and what things influenced them. First, the Spanish wanted to grow their empire and make sure they had control over important areas on the western coast. Another goal they had was to spread Christianity to the native people because they believed it was their God-given mission (Osborne 36). Lastly, the Spanish thought California could make money and had valuable resources like farming and trading.
The reasons to start this diet are the same as what we learned in earlier class videos. In the videos, Sara was very involved in the mission to convert the native people to Christianity. Moreover, the videos show that trade and workers were important in Spanish colonization for economic reasons.
Mission System in California:
The book talks about the mission system, which was a group of nine religious settlements created by Spanish missionaries. Their goal was to convert the native people to Christianity and make them part of Spanish society. The people who took over the land taught the community about farming and making things using European ways (Osborne 39). Also, the missions were a way for Spain to spread its influence over a large area of land.
Watching the videos and reading this description helps you see how the missions were used for both the holocaust and religious teaching. The places the mission is going to that are near water show two important things: managing resources and trading is very important for the community to do well.
Native Resistance against the Mission System:
The book talks about the big problems the mission system faced as it tried to control the native people who were resisting it. This method shows that the people who resisted were from different backgrounds and faced problems like culture clashes, being made to work against their will, and their way of life being ruined. Some native groups fought against the Spanish takeover by using weapons to try to bring back their own leaders and stop Spain from taking over more land. This picture shows how indigenous people have always had a hard time keeping their own way of life while dealing with colonial powers.
By comparing the pictures and stories in the class videos, I can clearly see how similar the native resistance and conflict stories are. For instance, when the San Diego mission was burned down by indigenous people, it showed that they were resisting Spanish control and the oppression of the mission system. In the same way, the videos focus on how the Spanish used force and cruelty to make sure their slaves obeyed them and to prevent any rebellions. These events from history show the fighting between the colonies and the people in power. They also show how the oppressed groups stood strong against the powerful forces. This analysis shows the good and bad parts of power, resistance, and strength that were there at that time. It adds a new way to understand history, which is made up of different people’s stories.
Reflection on Videos and Readings:
The videos and readings provide a lot of information about the historical monuments and their complex history. They have different ideas about why the Spanish came to settle in the Americas, what the mission phenomenon was, and how the native peoples were affected. When the videos show people’s stories, the book gives historical facts that help us understand how these events fit into society and politics.
The videos and readings show how the traditional view of Spanish colonization of California needs to be questioned and how we need to understand the present situation of Hispanic communities. These movies make us think about power, reaction, and cultural identity. It’s just the start of a conversation that makes us really think.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the book called Pacific Eldorado provides us with a thorough account of Spanish settlement and the mission system in California. The book examines the factors that led to colonization, the impact of missions, and the native resistance to provide a more sophisticated view of this intricate historical period. For example, the class video insights and discussion contribute to the comparison, showing the parallel and divergent positions on the colonization of California.
Work Cited
Osborne, Thomas J. Pacific Eldorado: A history of greater California. John Wiley & Sons, 2019.
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