Spanish Colonial Family Of The Southwest (1959)

[Music] this is the Rio Grande the long winding river between the United States and Mexico north of the Rio Grande is the United States south of the Rio Grande is Mexico we know this map very well but if we were to go back in history to the early 1800s our map would look very different the United States extended only as far west as the Mississippi River the vast land west of the Mississippi and to the Pacific was called New Spain Spain held such a large claim because many bold Spanish explorers had ventured North across the Rio Grandy seeking gold they found little gold but they did find vast lands which could be used for grazing cattle into the land that is now the southwestern United States came Spanish settlers wishing to live in New Spain by 1800 Spanish noblemen in these areas owned large grants of land called acendas ich asenda was a small self-sufficient Community with vast surrounding Ranch lands one of the most important buildings on every asenda was the casa or House of the owner and his family this is the casa of Don Antonio valves a Spanish nobleman living in the Old South West konita one of Don Antonio's many servants is busy with her daily tasks one of her duties is watering the plants in the patio or Courtyard of the casa this morning Don Antonio's son Ricardo has been looking for his father in the many rooms of the big house he asks konita if she has seen his father she tells Ricardo that his father is in the sitting room of the casa in the sitting room one of Don Antonio's Indian peons or servants has brought a problem to the wealthy landowner his family needs milk badly could the asend perhaps spare the use of one milk cow from his many cattle although Don Antonio owns everything on the asenda he's always willing to share with his servants in time of need yes the peon may have the use of a cow at last Ricardo has found his father he removes his hat to show respect for his father Ricardo is excited he's been talking to a guest who arrived at the asenda yesterday the guest has come from Spain in the same way that Don Antonio's father did many years ago Don Antonio has kept his father's old map that shows how the long journey was made from Spain to the new world across the wide Atlantic to the West Indies then farther west to the great Spanish settlement of Mexico City finally a long journey on Horseback into the Southwest Ricardo asks permission to show their guest around the asenda Don anonio is pleased with Ricardo's offer of hospitality in the guest room young Don Rafael the newly arrived nobleman is happy to see Ricardo many of the Furnishings that Don rafhael has been admiring come from Spain others were made on the asenda Ricardo would like to have something of his own from Spain but he knows such special luxuries are costly and must come thousands of miles Don Rafael is pleased to find fresh fruit in his room and is told that it comes from the aenda Orchards Ricardo is ready to take his new friend on a tour of the aenda Don rafhael would like to see more because he plans to establish his own asenda here in New Spain on the asenda there is always work to be done in the warm sun an Indian peon mixes Adobe Adobe a mixture of mud and straw is pressed into wooden forms after drying in the Sun the Adobe bricks are removed from the forms Ricardo points out how the Adobe is used thick walls of adobe brick help to keep the asenda buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter near another wall of the asenda two Indian servants make tortillas on a flat stone one woman crushes Indian corn called maze into cornmeal the other Pats the cornmeal Dough made of Maze and water into a thin flat cake called a tortilla much like a pancake tortillas are a daily food on the asenda now Ricardo wants to show his new friend what most of the asenda lands are used for in the distance beyond the asenda buildings they can see some of the many Longhorn cattle that Don Antonio raises the sale of their hides and meat has made Don Antonio's fortune in the new world nearer to the buildings are patches of Indian corn ripening in the Sun when it is ripe some of this corn will be used to make tortillas like those they saw this morning near the field another peon is drying a cow hide in the sun he stretches it by driving wooden pegs through the edges of the Hide then the hide is scraped to remove the hair many hides are dried and later tanned on the aanda then sold Spanish colonists brought with them not only cattle but sheep pigs buros and chickens as well sometimes cattle are hitch to a large wooden cart called aara useful for hauling hides firewood and other heavy loads from the Indians the Spanish colonists learned how to irrigate certain crops such as pears many fruits are grown on on the asenda Ricardo shows Don Rafael the irrigation system for the orchard Don Rafael is impressed with the efficient irrigation system he learns that the water flows down from the nearby mountains at a spring in the courtyard konita fills a jar with water for household use in the casa just outside the casa Ricardo's mother Dona Isabella and his sister Lola are busy with household tasks Lola's mother teaches her many household skills such as sewing for someday Lola may be the proud Lady of an asenda it is a woman's place to attend carefully to her domestic duties and to practice skills such as fine needle work women usually remain close to home but the men sometimes make long Journeys on Horseback this morning Don Antonio is taking his guest Don Rafael to see the young Noble's land grant from the King Don Antonio is proud of his many beautiful horses a fine saddle shows the Noble's wealth Saddles bridles and other leather goods are made from the hides of cattle raised on the asenda the Spanish Colonial men look forward to such Journeys because they love to ride and are skilled Horsemen leaving the buildings far behind they ride across the dry country side along the way Don Antonio points out another herd of his cattle they graze on the dry aenda grassland which extends for many miles finally after a long ride they reach Don Rafael's land Don Antonio shows his young friend where he might build the casa of his Henda Don Antonio suggests that Don Raphael build near the Stream So that his asenda will have a water supply all this land stretching for miles across the dry plain has been granted to the young Noble Don Rafael wonders where he will find workers to help him put up his asenda buildings Don Antonio suggests that they ride to the mission to seek help from the mission fathers late in the afternoon they reached the mission and tie their horses nearby father Pedro the priest in charge of the mission is busy hoing in his small garden he stops his work to welcome his guests father Pedro's mission is only one of the many Spanish missions that have been established in New Spain Don Antonio calls attention to the wooden cross at top the church a reminder of the Christian faith that the mission has brought to the many Indians living at the mission this Indian woman washes clothes in a small washing pool father Pedro explains that the Indians receive food shelter and education from the mission fathers in return they are glad to help with the many jobs that must be done close by an Indian is making soap for the mission in a huge Stone Soap bat father Pedro interrupts the soap making for a minute to ask a favor can the Indian find workers to help build Don Rafael's aenda yes 10 of the Indian men at the mission can help father Pedro's helping the Indians has made them friendly toward the Spanish colonists now it is time to Journey back to Don Antonio's asenda with the sun low in the sky they ride back to the casa when they arrive they find a table set in the patio in honor of the enda's guest usually the big meal of the day is at noon but today it is served later after the men's Journey everyone is ready for a leisurely dinner first they give thanks for their good fortune in the new world all the food for the dinner comes from the asenda chicken roast beef and tortillas are favorite foods the meal is a pleasant end to Don Raphael's busy day with his future Neighbors in the new world now he has a gift brought from the old world for his young friend Ricardo a pair of beautiful Silver Spurs all the way from Spain a gift for Ricardo's kindness in helping to explain the pleasant leisurely life of a Spanish Colonial Family of the old Southwest [Music]