Indians in California Mission and African-American Slaves in Southern Plantation

California Mission

The California Mission which is also known as the Spanish Mission of California, which comprise a series of religious outposts established by the Dominicans, the Jesuits and Franciscans in Spanish from 1769 to 1823 in order to spread Christianity among the local native American but also to give Spain more land (Kimbro, et al. 111). The mission was developed in the colonial empire of Spain. Starting from Paraguay, moving on Mexico and finally reaching from the north towards California. The California Mission suppressed the culture and religion of Spain over the citizens of Spain subjugated to them. As a substitute to controlling and subjugation by forcing through arms, these organizations have attempted to establish different concepts that relate to culture and social order that are practices and applied by the dominant society of Hispanics (Pettifer and Richard, 12). The role of Indian in this system was a big ambiguity while measuring and discussing the issues of freedom against slavery. Throughout the distinct history of Spain, secular and religious became so entwined as to develop an indivisible relation between both of them.

Impact of Mission on California (Pros and Cons)

The California Mission has sustained a series of missions that were represented in a highly compressed period of time. Indians were provided quarters for living on the basis of marital status and their age (Wright, 46). The Indian girls, who were above the age of sixteen, were sent to live in Mojerio where they were restricted and were also locked at night in order to protect their virtuousness. The place served as a school for training them and they were confined over their most of the time.

According to a contemporary research, these Indians, during the Mission Period, have enjoyed their new lives and that a number of Indians were able to sustain themselves even after the decline of mission by using their skills they have learnt under the mission treatment. The Indian were supposedly, many a times granted with leaves so that they can meet their families and relatives in order to attract them to come under the mission (Wright, 44). It was also observed that once a woman, under the confinement, accepted the mission and became a part of it, she was allowed to leave the confined room without even asking for permission and from there on, she sued to live a very civilized life (Theodore, 19).

Treatment of Indian in California Mission

Life of Indians at the California missions, altered during the mission. As the girls lived in such overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, it contributed to the rapid overspread of diseases and in the decline of the population. The Franciscans living in California were not very much aware with the idealistic freedom of humans that was popular by the enlightenment and indeed had very little sympathy in their hearts. The Indians were living in rough houses, rather huts, and their lives were continuously operated by the ringing of the bell (Albert, ...