Yes in the Southwest and California.
Missions
Missions
Missions
Religious settlements run by Catholic priests and friars are known as missions. These missions serve as centers for converting indigenous populations to Christianity, as well as providing education and social services. They were prominent in the colonization of the Americas, particularly by Spanish and Portuguese missionaries.
pueblos,missions and presidios
missions
Missions
Religious settlements established to convert people to a certain faith are called missions or missionary settlements. These are typically founded by religious organizations in order to spread their beliefs and teachings to new areas and populations.
Are religious settlements established to convert people to a particular faith.
Spanish law called for three kinds of settlements in the Americas: pueblos (towns), missions (religious outposts aimed at converting Indigenous peoples), and presidios (military forts). Pueblos served as civilian centers for Spanish settlers, while missions focused on religious conversion and cultural assimilation. Presidios were established to protect these settlements and maintain Spanish control over the territory. Together, these settlements formed the backbone of Spanish colonial administration in the New World.
These are called "missions" because of the "mission-like" way they did things.
Life on the borderlands revolved around the haciendas and missions, where people built homes and religious settlements to establish a sense of community and livelihood.