1 spanish era 1769–1821
1.1 plans pueblo
1.2 pobladores
1.3 founding
1.4 pueblo
spanish era 1769–1821
the old plaza church facing plaza, 1869. brick reservoir in middle of plaza original terminus of zanja madre.
in 1542 , 1602 first europeans visit region captain juan rodriguez cabrillo , captain sebastián vizcaíno. 166 years before european visit region.
plans pueblo
although los angeles town founded mexican families sonora, spanish governor of california named settlement.
in 1777 governor felipe de neve toured alta california , decided establish civic pueblos support of military presidios. new pueblos reduce secular power of missions reducing dependency of military on them. @ same time, promote development of industry , agriculture.
neve identified santa barbara, san jose, , los angeles sites new pueblos. plans them closely followed set of spanish city-planning laws contained in laws of indies promulgated king philip ii in 1573. laws responsible laying foundations of largest cities in region, including los angeles, san francisco, tucson, , san antonio—as sonoma, monterey, santa fe, san jose, , laredo.
the spanish system called open central plaza, surrounded fortified church, administrative buildings, , streets laid out in grid, defining rectangles of limited size used farming (suertes) , residences (solares).
it in accordance such precise planning—specified in law of indies—that governor neve founded pueblo of san jose de guadalupe, california s first municipality, on great plain of santa clara on 29 november 1777.
pobladores
the los angeles pobladores ( townspeople ) name given 44 original settlers, 22 adults , 22 children sonora, founded town.
in december, 1777 viceroy antonio maría de bucareli y ursúa , commandant general teodoro de croix gave approval founding of civic municipality @ los angeles , new presidio @ santa barbara. croix put california lieutenant governor fernando rivera y moncada in charge of recruiting colonists new settlements. instructed recruit 55 soldiers, 22 settlers families , 1,000 head of livestock included horses military. after exhausting search took him mazatlán, rosario, , durango, rivera y moncada recruited 12 settlers , 45 soldiers. people of towns in new spain, mix of indian , spanish backgrounds. quechan revolt killed 95 settlers , soldiers, including rivera y moncada. in reglamento, newly baptized indians no longer reside in mission live in traditional rancherías (villages). neve s new plans indians role in new town drew instant disapproval mission priests.
zúñiga s party arrived @ mission on 18 july 1781. because had arrived smallpox, quarantined short distance away mission. members of other party arrive @ different times august. made way los angeles , received land before september.
founding
the official date founding of city september 4, 1781. families had arrived mexico earlier in 1781, in 2 groups, , of them had been working on assigned plots of land since summer.
the name first given settlement debated. historian doyce b. nunis has said spanish named el pueblo de la reyna de los angeles ( town of queen of angels ). proof, pointed map dated 1785, phrase used. frank weber, diocesan archivist, replied, however, name given founders el pueblo de nuestra señora de los angeles de porciuncula , or town of our lady of angels of porciuncula. , map in error.
early pueblo
the town grew soldiers , other settlers came town , stayed. in 1784 chapel built on plaza. pobladores given title land 2 years later. 1800, there 29 buildings surrounded plaza, flat-roofed, one-story adobe buildings thatched roofs made of tule. 1821 los angeles had grown self-sustaining farming community, largest in southern california.
each settler received 4 rectangles of land, suertes, farming, 2 irrigated plots , 2 dry ones. when settlers arrived, los angeles floodplain heavily wooded willows , oaks. los angeles river flowed year. wildlife plentiful, including deer, antelope, , black bears, , occasional grizzly bear. there abundant wetlands , swamps. steelhead , salmon swam rivers.
the first settlers built water system consisting of ditches (zanjas) leading river through middle of town , farmlands. indians employed haul fresh drinking water special pool farther upstream. city first known producer of fine wine grapes. raising of cattle , commerce in tallow , hides come later.
because of great economic potential los angeles, demand indian labor grew rapidly. yaanga began attracting indians islands , far away san diego , san luis obispo. village began refugee camp. unlike missions, pobladores paid indians labor. in exchange work farm workers, vaqueros, ditch diggers, water haulers, , domestic help; paid in clothing , other goods cash , alcohol. pobladores bartered them prized sea-otter , seal pelts, sieves, trays, baskets, mats, , other woven goods. commerce contributed economic success of town , attraction of other indians city.
during 1780s, san gabriel mission became object of indian revolt. mission had expropriated suitable farming land; indians found abused , forced work on lands once owned. young indian healer, toypurina, began touring area, preaching against injustices suffered people. won on 4 rancherías , led them in attack on mission @ san gabriel. soldiers able defend mission, , arrested 17, including toypurina.
in 1787 governor pedro fages drew instructions corporal guard of pueblo of los angeles. instructions included rules employing indians, not using corporal punishment, , protecting indian rancherías. result, indians found more freedom choose between benefits of missions , pueblo-associated rancherías.
in 1795, sergeant pablo cota led expedition simi valley through conejo-calabasas region , san fernando valley. party visited rancho of francisco reyes. found local indians hard @ work vaqueros , caring crops. padre vincente de santa maria traveling party , made these observations:
all of pagandom (indians) fond of pueblo of los angeles, of rancho of reyes, , of ditches (water system). here see nothing pagans, clad in shoes, sombreros , blankets, , serving muleteers settlers , rancheros, if not gentiles there neither pueblos nor ranches. these pagan indians care neither missions nor missionaries.
not economic ties marriage drew many indians life of pueblo. in 1784—only 3 years after founding—the first recorded marriages in los angeles took place. 2 sons of settler basilio rosas, maximo , josé carlos, married 2 young indian women, maría antonia , maría dolores.
the construction on plaza of la iglesia de nuestra señora de los Ángeles took place between 1818 , 1822, of indian labor. new church completed governor neve s planned transition of authority mission pueblo. angelinos no longer have make bumpy 11-mile (18 km) ride sunday mass @ mission san gabriel.
in 1820 route of el camino viejo established los angeles, on mountains north , west side of san joaquin valley east side of san francisco bay.
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