Missions in the borders of Spanish America: comparative analysis

Abstract

The Spanish Crown constructed a colonial system in the Americas based on the exploitation of the indigenous populations. This colonial system worked well in sedentary populations that practiced agriculture, and that had govemrnents that exer­cised central control. On the frontiers of the empire, the Spaniards encountered popula­tions that were not sedentary, and developed the mission system where missionaries from various Catholic orders such as the Franciscans and the Jesuits attempted to change the social structure and religion of the indigenous neophytes. This essay offers a comparative analysis of missions in northem Mexico during the colonial period, and in Paraguay.