The establishment of missions in Texas was primarily driven by Spanish Franciscan missionaries, supported by Spanish colonial authorities. Key figures and groups involved include:
- Franciscan friars from missionary colleges in Mexico, especially the College of Santa Cruz at Querétaro and the College of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe at Zacatecas, who directed most Texas missions
- Early missionaries such as Fray Juan de Salas and Fray Diego León , who initiated missionary efforts among the Jumano Indians in the 1620s and 1630s near present-day San Angelo
- Prominent missionaries like Father Isidro Félix de Espinosa , Francisco Hidalgo , and Antonio Margil de Jesús , who played major roles in founding and reestablishing missions, particularly in eastern Texas
- Spanish colonial authorities who established presidios (military forts) to protect missions and settlements and supported the mission system as a means to extend Spanish control and convert Native Americans to Christianity
- The missions were part of a broader Spanish strategy to convert indigenous peoples, spread Christianity, and secure territorial claims against French encroachment
In summary, the missions in Texas were established through the efforts of Franciscan missionaries commissioned by the Spanish crown, with significant contributions from individual friars and support from Spanish colonial military and civil authorities.
