Though thousands of Native Americans were ostensibly converted to Catholicism, many others died of overwork or from diseases brought by the padres. Many of the missions had successful farming and ranching operations, and at one point one-sixth of California's land was mission-controlled. A typical mission layout consisted of a courtyard bordered by the church, workshops, and living quarters for friars and neophytes. Though thick adobe mission walls provided relief from the warm California sun, they were susceptible to collapse during earthquakes. Many of the mission buildings were built of adobe (sun-dried bricks of mud, clay, water and straw). The first mission started in 1769 and the last was consecrated in 1823, only 25 years before California came under American control. The first nine missions were established by Junipero Serra, while the remaining twelve were established by Serra's successors. Junipero Serra founded the first nine California missions Days of the Padres Įl Camino Real and the missions, pueblos (villages), and presidios (forts) along it, were established by the Franciscan friars to ensure safe passage through California during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but also to convert the various Native American tribes to Catholicism and to solidify the Spanish claim to the region.
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