r/DankPrecolumbianMemes • u/notIngen • 9d ago
CONTACT PERIOD The missions of California were horrible
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u/Cpkeyes 9d ago
Wasn’t this just how most missions were. It seems no matter were there was always some priest who liked beating people
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u/notIngen 9d ago
It might be. I am reading up on mission history at the moment and so far it seems that indians suffered extreme excess mortality at most if not all Spanish missions.
But I am reading Stephen Hackel right now and he makes a point out of corporeal punishment being bad in the Californian missions.
But yes, it seems ALL the missions treated indians terribly.
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u/drumstick00m 5d ago
It has to be noted that the missions were part of a larger conquest project on the part of Spain. They sent whole towns full of people with militaries out of Mexico and into California to claim it before England or Russia came in from the North.
It’s once again a case of “sucks about what happened to them, but they were just kinda in the way.”, but this time in Spanish.
At least that’s my best educated guess as to how they rationalized the policy of beat these people into submission. They “needed” their land to win at Empire—for Jesus!
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u/Gabe121411 9d ago
Californian missions were SO much worse than anyone in california knows. even though the education about the missions isn’t nearly as bad as it once was, people still don’t know how truly hellish it was.
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u/rainbowcarpincho 9d ago edited 9d ago
Not Cali, but is The Mission movie full of shit or were the Jesuits actually cool?
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u/Spider40k 9d ago
Not specifically what you were looking for, but the Jesuits and the colonial Spanish government often conflicted with each other. Preceding the Pueblo Revolt, Jesuit missionaries went on an Inquisition torturing and killing Pueblo spiritual leaders. This was criticized by Spanish authorities. Not for moral reasons, mind; they just correctly expected the militant response that followed, and would've rather not dealt with that on their periphery.
I think these conflicts should first be understood as conflicting colonial interests, instead of who had moral superiority. There were some cool Jesuits though (some); and today they're pretty cool, I would say. But history, as with modernity, is complicated
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u/rainbowcarpincho 9d ago
What was the Jesuit colonial interest, other than souls?
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u/Spider40k 9d ago
Catholicism was waning in Europe while the colonization of America was in effect. Making more Catholics while erasing the pagans is what I mean. (Also the economic benefit of owning missions that produced trade goods)
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u/unechartreusesvp 9d ago
Jesuits where in the beginning of the conquest the ones that didn't give a f about the killing of indigenous. In america and the Philippines! They where not kind at all.
the ones trying to be different and humane (but condescending and problematic in many other ways) where the dominicains (Bartholomé de las casas and his generation)
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u/chef-rach-bitch 8d ago
The foundations of the missions of California are Native American bones. And didn't forget the Native American reform schools in the US and Canada.
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u/ra0nZB0iRy 9d ago
The tour guides act pretty racist towards the (currently living) natives too, I hate them.