Although Spain claimed much of the
Gulf Coast of North America as part of its colonial territory, it largely ignored the region to the east of the
Rio Grande throughout the 17th century. In 1699,
French forts were established at
Biloxi Bay and on the
Mississippi River, ending Spain's exclusive control of the Gulf Coast. The Spanish recognized that French encroachment could threaten other Spanish areas, and they ordered the reoccupation of Texas as a buffer between
New Spain and
French settlements in Louisiana. On April 12, 1716, an expedition led by
Domingo Ramon left
San Juan Bautista for Texas, intending to establish four
missions and a
presidio. At the same time, the French were building a fort in
Natchitoches, having founded the town in 1714. The Spanish countered by founding two more missions just west of Natchitoches, including San Miguel de los Adaes (for a total of six missions in the region). The latter two missions were located in a disputed area;
France claimed the
Sabine River to be the western boundary of colonial Louisiana, while
Spain claimed the
Red River to be the eastern boundary of colonial Texas, leaving an overlap of . In 1719, European powers embarked on the
War of the Quadruple Alliance. In June 1719, seven Frenchmen from Natchitoches took control of the mission of San Miguel de los Adaes from its sole defender, who did not know that the nations were at war. The French soldiers explained that 100 additional soldiers were coming; the Spanish colonists, missionaries, and remaining soldiers abandoned the area and fled to
San Antonio. The
Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo volunteered to reconquer
Spanish Texas and raised an army of 500 soldiers. By July 1721, Aguayo reached the
Neches River. His expedition encountered a French force
en route to attack
San Antonio de Bexar. The outnumbered Frenchmen agreed to retreat to
Louisiana. Aguayo then ordered the building of a new
presidio Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Los Adaes, located near present-day
Robeline, Louisiana, only 12 miles (19 km) from Natchitoches. The new
fort became the first
capital of
Texas, and it was guarded by 6 cannon and a
garrison of 100 soldiers. Spain discouraged manufacturing in its colonies and limited trade to Spanish goods handled by Spanish merchants and carried on Spanish vessels. Most of the
ports, including all of those in Texas, were closed to commercial vessels in the hopes of dissuading smugglers. By law, all goods bound for Texas had to be shipped to
Vera Cruz and then transported over the mountains to
Mexico City before being sent to Texas. This caused the goods to be very expensive in the Texas settlements. Because of the great distance between Los Adaes and the rest of the populated portions of
Texas, the settlers in the area turned most often to the French colonists in neighboring
Natchitoches,
Louisiana, for trade. Without many goods to trade, however, the
Spanish missionaries and colonists had little to offer the
Indians, who remained loyal to the
French traders. Although the Spanish settlers in the area did not encounter hostile
Native Americans, since the local
Caddoan-speaking peoples were friendly, the
Franciscan missionaries were unsuccessful in
converting the local people to
Catholicism. After many years of frustration in this regard, the College of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Zacatecas, which was the sponsor of the
missionaries at Los Adaes, recalled their missionaries in 1768, and the mission was closed. On November 3, 1762, as part of the
Treaty of Fontainebleau, France ceded the portion of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River to Spain. With France no longer a threat to Spain's North American interests, the
Spanish monarchy commissioned the
Marqués de Rubí to inspect all of the presidios on the northern frontier of New Spain and make recommendations for the future. Rubí was not impressed with Los Adaes. Two Franciscan missionaries lived there but 46 years of missionary endeavor had done "little more...than baptize a few of the dying." Not a single
Indian lived at the Mission. Twenty-five Spanish families lived nearby on "little ranches." Crops were poor due a lack of irrigation and there was scarcely enough water to drink. Sixty-one Spanish soldiers were stationed at the presidio of Las Adaes. Rubi recommended that eastern Texas be abandoned, with all the population moved to San Antonio. With
Louisiana in Spanish control, there was no need for a mission and presidio at Los Adaes to counter French competition. In August 1768, the acting governor,
Juan María Vicencio, Baron de Ripperdá, moved his headquarters and the garrison to
San Antonio, which became the new
capital of
Tejas in 1772. The settlers who had lived near Los Adaes were forced to resettle in San Antonio in 1773. After vociferously protesting, the former residents of eastern Tejas were allowed to leave San Antonio the following year (1774); but they were not allowed to locate beyond the
Trinity River, 175 miles (282 km) from Natchitoches. In 1779, the
Comanches began raiding the new settlement. The former Los Adaes settlers chose to move farther east to the old
mission of Nacogdoches, where they founded
the town of the same name. The new town quickly became a waystation for
contraband. It is a site on the
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail. ==Present day==