What term describes a fort built to protect a mission?

• A. Presidio
• B. Garrison
• C. Barracks
• D. Fort

Answer: (A)

Think about the frontier where missions stood and needed protection. In that context, a fort built specifically to guard a mission was called a presidio. Presidios were military installations placed to defend the mission and its people from raids, often forming part of the mission complex or standing nearby. The term sets apart the fort itself from related ideas like troops or living quarters: a garrison is the soldiers, barracks are where they live, and a fort is the general fortified place. A real-world example is the Presidio of San Antonio de Béxar, which protected Mission San Antonio de Padua; that area eventually grew into the city of San Antonio. So the best word for a fort built to protect a mission is presidio.