The missions were established by Catholic priests of the Franciscan order to evangelize indigenous peoples backed by the military force of the Spanish Empire. The missions were part of the expansion and settlement of New Spain through the formation of Alta California , expanding the empire into the most northern and western parts of Spanish North America.
Indigenous peoples were forced into settlements called reductions , [ 3 ] disrupting their traditional way of life and negatively affecting as many as one thousand villages. By , Spain's king had been imprisoned by the French, and financing for military payroll and missions in California ceased.
The missions maintained authority over indigenous peoples and land holdings until the s. At the peak of their influence in , the coastal mission system controlled approximately one-sixth of Alta California. Mission lands were largely given to settlers and soldiers, along with a minority of indigenous people.
The surviving mission buildings are the state of California's oldest structures and most-visited historic monuments, many of which were restored after falling into near disrepair in the early 20th century. They have become a symbol of California, appearing in many movies and television shows, and are an inspiration for Mission Revival architecture. Concerns have been raised by historians and Indigenous peoples of California about the way the mission period in California is taught in educational institutions and memorialized.
Santa Barbara , and Santa Cruz were also formed near missions, and the historical imprint reached as far north as Sonoma in what became the wine country. Prior to , grants of mission lands were made directly by the Spanish Crown. But, given the remote locations and the inherent difficulties in communicating with the territorial governments, he delegated authority to make grants to the viceroys of New Spain. They were motivated in part by presence of Russian fur traders along the California coast in the mid s.
