Mission Façade Mission San Diego de Alcala


OPTION I:  MISSION TOUR FIELDTRIP

Instead of our usual classroom meeting, on the assigned day we will assemble at the entrance of the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala. You are responsible to getting to and from this location.  One of the requirements for HIST413 is that we cover California History, and central to that story has been the place of the missions.  So what better way to learn about this (and be able to teach about it later) than to make our "classroom" for this day the oldest of the California missions.

Map to Mission San Diego When-Where.  Meet at the Mission's gift shop at 12:15; tour ends at 1:15 (though you can stay longer if you'd like.  Our tour will be guided by a person there. 

Directions.  The mission is nearby campus at 10818 San Diego Mission Road.  There is a station on the San Diego Trolley's green line nearby.


 


General information:

1. When was this Mission founded?
It was founded on July 16, 1769 by Father Junipero Serra.

2. Was this the first mission in the chain of 21?
It was the first mission in the chain of 21 that were founded in Alta or Upper California but a mission was founded in Baja or Lower California at San Fernando de Velicata as part of the expedition to establish the Alta California missions. It was established on May 14, 1769.

3. Is this the original church?
This is the fifth church on this site. The church was enlarged over the years to accommodate the growing population of neophytes (baptized American Indians). In 1812, as the fourth church was being built, a devastating earthquake damaged and destroyed several other missions and although we were spared, a decision was made to add buttress wings to secure the facade. In 1976, Mission San Diego de Alcala was named a basilica. A basilica is a church of very important historical significance. It is an honor bestowed upon a church by the Pope. Only four of the California missions are basilicas: Mission San Francisco de Asis (Dolores), Mission San Carlos Borromeo, Mission San Diego and most recently, Mission San Juan Capistrano.

4. Do Franciscan priests still live here?
Mission San Diego is part of the Diocese of San Diego and is staffed by secular priests. Four of the missions are still run by Franciscans: Santa Barbara, San Miguel, San Antonio de Padua and San Luis Rey. Santa Inez is run by Franciscan Capuchins. Two missions are now part of state run museums: Purisima Conception and Sonoma.

5. Are the bells original?
One of the bells is original - it is one of the larger bells and it is distinguishable because it has a conan or crown on top of it and is dated 1802. When the King of Spain wanted bells forged for the missions, he required that they have a crown. The other large bell is made up of remnants from the original bells. The middle two bells are crown bells and all five bells are rung in unison only once a year and that is on the birthday of the mission. The large bell on the bottom (non-crown) is rung twice a day (at noon and at six) and before every Mass on Sunday. Bells were extremely important in mission days; they were used as clocks signifying when it was time to eat, pray, work or play. Different tones and sequencing were also significant.

6. What is El Camino Real?
El Camino Real is the King's Highway. In Alta California, it begins in San Diego and ends 600 miles north at Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma. The missions were built to be one day's walk apart.

7. What is the name of the Native Americans who lived in this area?
They are commonly referred to as Kumeyaay, although at various times they are called Mission Indians or Diegueno (taking the name from the mission). The Kumeyaay were hunters and gatherers, had no strong sense of ownership and were fairly nomadic moving from mountains to coast as the seasons changed.  The Kumeyaay had never seen cloth before the Spanish arrived; their garments were made from plant products.

8. Were the Native Americans forced to live at this mission?
Although some texts in the schools make that claim, all primary source material (documents) and archaeological findings indicate otherwise. Mission San Diego was so poor that when Father Lasuen was pastor in 1775, he had to devise a rotating system whereby half of the Native Americans could live on the grounds and the others would remain in their native villages and they would periodically rotate. This would indicate that they were able to freely go back and forth from village to mission.

Mission brand The Spanish introduced livestock to Alta California. As the herd of cattle increased, it became necessary to forge brands specific to each mission. The brand that is pictured is the brand for Mission San Diego de Alcala. In 1797 cattle at the mission numbered 10,000.

 

Mission recommended reading:
San Diego Mission by Zephrim Engelhardt OFM
Sunset Edition of the California Missions.


 

 

OPTION II:  For those unable/unwilling to go the San Diego Mission, the substitute is a writing assignment (2-3 pages, double-spaced) based on the following primary sources documents below.  Based on these, address the following issues:

- What does Fr. Luis Jayme find most troublesome about the Spanish soldiers?
- Does Fr. Serra suggest what he believes motivates Indian violence?
- What is praised about the missions?
- What is condemned about the missions?

For more information, you can start at the virtual tour at www.californiamissions.com