What is a mission system and why did it decline?

• A. A system of trading posts along major rivers.
• B. A chain of coastal fortifications.
• C. A set of schools for agriculture.
• D. A network of religious outposts built to convert Native Americans; it declined due to resistance, isolation, and changing politics.

Answer: (D)

The mission system was a network of religious outposts established by the Spanish to convert Native Americans to Catholicism, teach them farming and crafts, and bring them into Spanish colonial life. These missions often served as centers for religion, education, and daily work, while also helping to claim and control land in Texas.

It declined for a few interrelated reasons. Native groups resisted being moved into missions, forced to adopt new ways of life, and some communities break away or abandon missions rather than submit to control. The missions also faced constant challenges from their remote locations—limited supplies, harsh conditions, and difficulties sustaining communication with distant colonial centers. Finally, changing politics played a huge role: after Mexico won independence from Spain, the government pursued secularization, redistributing mission lands away from the church and toward secular authorities and ranching interests, which weakened the mission system and led to its decline.