California Missions Timeline

Advertising

Stretching from San Diego to Sonoma, the twenty-one beautiful missions that line the state of California remind us of our nation’s past. Under the Spanish king Charles III, plans were made for extending Spanish domain into Upper California. Sea and land expeditions composed of Spanish soldiers and Franciscan missionaries were sent from Mexico to Upper California with the intent of colonizing the new land and converting its Indian inhabitants to Christianity. In 1769, after long hardships, the early colonizers reached San Diego where the first fort (presidio) and mission were established to serve as frontier outposts. It was the beginning of the mission system established in Alta California by Franciscan fathers whose names, such as Junípero Serra, Francisco Palóu, Juan Crespí and Fermín Lasuén are forever linked with the history of the Golden State. In a time span of 54 years, twenty-one missions and four forts, or presidios, were founded along the coast of Alta California. Some of these sites eventually developed into California’s largest cities, such as San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Sonoma. The mission chain began with the founding of Mission San Diego seven years before the American Declaration of Independence was promulgated in 1776, and came to an end 15 years before gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. The mission era ended in 1833, when the newly formed Mexican government passed the secularization law with the aim of confiscating all mission properties and exiling the Franciscan friars from Upper California.

Historical Missions Timeline & California Missions Chain

Spanish Missions Founded in Alta California (Image 01) – Source: https://www.wikipedia.org
California Missions Timeline (Image 02) – Source: https://californiamissionsfoundation.org
Missions, Presidios & Pueblos of California © 2012 Pentacle Press (Image 03) – Source: https://www.missionscalifornia.com

California Missions ordered by Foundation Date

01 San Diego de Alcalá – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on July 16, 1769 by Father Junípero Serra

02 San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on June 3, 1770 by Father Junípero Serra

03 San Antonio de Padua – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on July 14, 1771 by Father Junípero Serra

04 San Gabriel Arcángel – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on September 8, 1771 by Fathers Cambón and Somera

05 San Luis Obispo de Tolosa – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on September 1, 1772 by Father Junípero Serra

06 San Francisco de Asís – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on October 8, 1776 by Fathers Palóu and Cambón

07 San Juan Capistrano – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on November 1, 1776 by Father Junípero Serra

08 Santa Clara de Asís – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on January 12, 1777 by Father Junípero Serra

09 San Buenaventura – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on March 31, 1782 by Father Junípero Serra

10 Santa Barbara – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on December 4, 1786 by Father Fermin Lasuén

11 La Purísima Concepción – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on December 8, 1787 by Father Fermin Lasuén

12 Santa Cruz – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on August 28, 1791 by Father Fermin Lasuén

13 Nuestra Señora de la Soledad – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on October 9, 1791 by Father Fermin Lasuén

14 San José – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on June 11, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuén

15 San Juan Bautista – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on June 24, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuén

16 San Miguel Arcángel – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on July 25, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuén

17 San Fernando Rey de España – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on September 8, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuén

18 San Luis Rey de Francia – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on June 13, 1798 by Father Fermin Lasuén

19 Santa Inés Virgen y Mártir – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estevan Tapis

20 San Rafael Arcángel – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on December 14, 1817 by Father Vicente de Sarria

21 San Francisco de Solano – Overview | Brief History | In-Depth History – Founded on July 4, 1823 by Father José Altimira

Advertising