The Sacred Expedition of

1769

Gaspar de Portola and Father Junipero

Vocabulary

Expedition an exploration
Settlement an uninhabited place
where people establish a community
Presidio a military fort
Mission a religious and farming
settlement

Background

After Vizcainos exploration of California in

1602-1603, Spain lost interest in California.
They stopped sending expeditions to
California for over 150 years.
Fearing that the Russians were moving
down from Alaska to California, Spain
regained interest and decided to establish
some settlements in California.
King Charles II of Spain sent four groups to
establish Spanish settlements in San Diego
and Monterey.

Two by land, two by sea

Ship: San Carlos

Left New Spain:
January 9, 1769
Led by Capt. Vila and
Lt. Fages

Land Expedition #1
Left New Spain: March
24, 1769
Led by Capt. Rivera
and Father Crespi

Ship: San Antonio

Left New Spain:
February 15, 1769
Led by Capt. Perez
Land Expedition #2
Left New Spain: May
15, 1769
Led by Capt. Portola
and Father Serra

The land expeditions brought 200 cattle, 163 mules and some horses.

San Diego

Traveling on foot and

horseback, Portolas
land expedition arrived
in San Diego in June
1769. The other land
group and the two ships
were already there.
Portola raised the
Spanish flag at the site
chosen for the San
Diego Presidio, then
continued to travel
north to Monterey by
land.

San Diego

While Portola
headed up to
Monterey, Father
Serra stayed in San
Diego and built the
first European
settlement in
California, Mission
San Diego de
Alcala.

Monterey

Because of Vizcainos inaccurate

description of Monterey Bay, Portola
passed it and reached San Francisco
Bay. He returned to Monterey and
raised a cross there, then headed
back to San Diego.
Upon returning to San Diego, he
realized he had actually been at
Monterey Bay, so Portola, Crespi, and
Fages started back to Monterey
again by foot. Serra and Perez went
by sea.

Monterey

Upon landing in
Monterey, Serra
immediately hung a
bell on an oak tree and
held the first Catholic
Mass in California
under the oak tree.
Although the tree is no
longer standing at the
site, parts of it can be
found in a display at
the Carmel Mission
and under the alter at
the Monterey Presidio.

Monterey

Portola began
construction on the
Monterey Presidio.
Meanwhile, Serra began
working on Mission San
Carlos Borromeo del
Carmelo (known as the
Carmel Mission). Due to
inadequate water
supply, the missionaries
moved the Carmel
Mission to its presentday location in Carmel a
few years later.

Father Serra

While Portola returned to

New Spain after one year,
Serra stayed in California
for the remainder of his life.
He became the President of
the California Missions and
founded eight of the
twenty-one Spanish
Missions in California.
Serras favorite mission, the
Carmel Mission, became the
headquarters of the
California Missions.
He died in his room at the
Carmel Mission on August
28, 1784. He is buried at
the chapel there.