) ▁by ▁a ▁pres id io ▁strateg ically ▁placed ▁along ▁the ▁California ▁coast ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁miss ions ▁and ▁other ▁Spanish ▁settlement s ▁in ▁Upper ▁California . ▁Each ▁of ▁these ▁function ed ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁of ▁military ▁operations ▁for ▁a ▁specific ▁region . ▁They ▁were ▁independent ▁of ▁one ▁another ▁and ▁were ▁organized ▁from ▁south ▁to ▁north ▁as ▁follows : ▁▁ ▁El ▁Pres id io ▁Real ▁de ▁San ▁Diego ▁founded ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 7 6 9 ▁– ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁all ▁install ations ▁located ▁within ▁the ▁First ▁Military ▁District ▁( the ▁miss ions ▁at ▁San ▁Diego , ▁San ▁Luis ▁Rey , ▁San ▁Juan ▁Cap ist rano , ▁and ▁San ▁Gabriel ); ▁ ▁El ▁Pres id io ▁Real ▁de ▁Santa ▁B ár bara ▁founded ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 7 8 2 ▁– ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁all ▁install ations ▁located ▁within ▁the ▁Second ▁Military ▁District ▁( the ▁miss ions ▁at ▁San ▁Fernando , ▁San ▁Buen av ent ura , ▁Santa ▁Barbara , ▁Santa ▁In és , ▁and ▁La ▁Pur ís ima , ▁along ▁with ▁El ▁P ue blo ▁de ▁Nu estra ▁Se ñ ora ▁la ▁Re ina ▁de ▁los ▁Áng eles ▁del ▁Río ▁de ▁Por ci ún cul a ▁[ Los ▁Angeles ]); ▁ ▁El ▁Pres id io ▁Real ▁de ▁San ▁Carlos ▁de ▁Mon ter ey ▁( El ▁Cast illo ) ▁founded ▁on ▁June ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 7 7 0 ▁– ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁all ▁install ations ▁located ▁within