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For my history outside the class room assignment I visited the San Juan Capistrano Mission. Located in downtown San Juan Capistrano, the mission is a building I pass by every day on my way to work. I chose this location for its convenience as well as its personal significance for lack of a better term. I say this because at my elementary school all fourth graders would go on a field trip to visit the mission. California history was a big part of the fourth grade curriculum. I can remember visiting the mission with my class 11 or 12 years ago. The mission itself was founded in 1775 by father Lasuen in October. Within a month word came that there was a revolt in San Diego so the soldiers and religious heads left to go help. Just a little over one year later Saint Junipero Serra led an expedition crew and re founded the mission. This location is one of twenty-one missions founded in California to spread Catholicism.
Looking at the mission now with the knowledge and perspective of a historian and not a small child was interesting. I noticed things that now that I didn’t before. I noticed etchings on the door ways and walls, how well preserved the structure is, and how many artifacts actually survived to present day. The building itself was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1812 and restoration really didn’t begin until the 1910’s however many took interest in its beauty as early as the 1870’s. My ten-year-old self always found it odd that other places, like the east coast, didn’t have missions like this. They had towns dedicated to the teachings of Catholicism and Christianity but never ones as intricate or important as the mission system. I realized the answer while I was looking at the ruins of the great church. The stones that made up the structure one, weren’t used for building on the east coast or Canada, and two wouldn’t provide enough warmth during the winter. The missions were essentially compounds where people would work, pray, and live in. The climate of California has very little variation throughout the seasons and so extra insulation wouldn’t be needed. Plus, the native Californians would be the furthest away from the influences of Catholicism or any culture from the conquering nations. While France and Britain were fighting over territory in the east Spain was more than happy to insert its powers on the west coast and their indigenous people.