| In 1812, Russian
fur traders had established a settlement on the coast
north of San Francisco. The Spanish were very concerned
that the Russians would move south and claim more
territory. The mission in Sonoma was founded in 1823 to
establish Spanish ownership of the land. The Spanish
wanted to create a large settlement in the area.
To
build the mission quickly, the padre was very demanding
and treated the natives very poorly. The natives
revolted, attacking the mission and forcing the padre to
escape.
A new mission was built in 1828, but the mission
didn't recover before secularization. After
secularization, the mission served as many things
including a barn and warehouse. In 1944, the mission was
restored as a State Historical Monument.
|
