Father Junipero Serra and the Franciscan Missions: Three Points of View

The Franciscan Junipero Serra (1713-1784), founder of the California mission system, has been praised for his work in bringing Christianity to the native peoples of the Mexican province of Alta California, and has recently been declared a Saint by Pope Francis. On the other hand, he has been vilified by others who point to evidence of brutal treatment of the indigenous people by the Franciscan friars and the Spanish soldiers who accompanied them. Evidence supplied by outside visitors to Carmel Mission in the 1780s has been cited to support both views. A third dimension, however, is seldom mentioned: the geopolitical aspect. While the friars and the soldiers had a symbiotic relation—each helping the other—the ultimate reason for their governmental support was a long-range effort to keep the Russians and the Canadians out of California. Get a balanced analysis of the missions as we explore all three views.
Course Code
504411