Monterey
Bay
The Spanish
merchant
Sebastian Vizcaino discovered Monterey Bay while searching
for a port along the California coast for a safe harbor
for the Spanish galleons. Vizcaino named the bay in
honor of the Viceroy, the Conde de Monterey. Monterey
Bay was highly thought of as a sheltered port but
it was not until one hundred and sixty eight years
later that an outpost was established.
Don
Gasper de Portola
governor of lower California and Father Junipero
Serra headed an expedition one by land and one
by sea to occupy the port of Monterery from San Diego
on July 14, 1769. The expedition included two soldiers
whose families were to become influential and important
in Monterey County, Juan Bautista Alvarado and Jose
Maria Soberanes. The expedition struggled through
the Santa Lucia mountains and it is said they did
not recognize Monterey Bay, continued their search
to discover San Francisco Bay. Retracing their route
back to San Diego they were still unable to locate
Monterey Bay.
Spanish-American Outpost
The Portola
expedition of June 3, 1770 took possession of Monterey
and dedicated the Presido de Monterey and the Mission
San Carlos de Borromeo.
San
Carlos Borromeo
Spanish Missions a Commercial Success
(See all 21 California Missions)
Four
of the twenty one California missions were located
in Old Monterey County. Father Serra dedicated San
Carlos Borromeo and San Antonio de Padua, later father
Lasuen (Father Serras successor) dedicated Nuestra
Senora de Soledad and San Juan Bautista.
The missions were more than a way to save the souls
of the natives. Indians were taught to read and write,
tanning, cooking , sewing and agricultural arts. There
are some accounts of the indians being mistreated
. In 1826 a Captian Beechey visited a mission and
stated that the indians who did not want to be converted
were typically imprisoned and only released when they
showed a readiness to be renounce the religion of
their fathers. Indians that managed to escape where
tracked down and brought back to the mission and always
flogged and an iron clog attached to one of their
legs as a prevention for running away again. It is
documented that the indians were not highly thought
of during this period of time. Indians that did not
want to be saved or quartered in the missions were
most certainly were mistreated or forced into service
in the missions. The missions produced many of the
traded goods needed for commerce in early California
and became very prosperous and a key factor in economy
of old California.
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