Title: Mexican secularization act of 1833 - Wikipedia
Headings: Mexican secularization act of 1833
Mexican secularization act of 1833
Contents
Background
Proclamation of Emancipation
Secularization Act
Failed distribution to indigenous people
Mission lands confiscated
Sub-missions also lost
Rancho period
Statehood
Abraham Lincoln and the return of ownership
Current status
See also
References
External links

Content: The ranches made of former mission pasture lands were divided into large land grants, thus greatly increasing the number of private landholdings in Alta California. This meant that the missions would hold title only to the worship chapel, the residences of the priests, and a small amount of land surrounding the church for use as gardens. In some missions, all of the other buildings were lost, and some mission buildings were divided, with a physical wall added into the mission buildings. With the loss of all support from the surrounding land and support buildings – like livestock, orchards, barns, tanning, blacksmithing, candle making, vineyards, winery, water rights, loom, Beehive ovens, carpenter shop, soap making, grain silo, in some cases the mission courtyard and more – the Franciscans had no means of support for themselves or the natives. The Franciscans soon thereafter abandoned most of the missions, taking with them almost everything of value, after which the locals typically plundered the mission buildings for construction materials, as the four to six soldiers assigned to guard each Mission were dismissed. Mission lands confiscated
Mission San Juan Capistrano was the very first mission to have its land taken away; on August 9, 1834, Governor Figueroa issued his "Decree of Confiscation." Nine other settlements quickly followed, with six more in 1835; San Buenaventura and Mission San Francisco de Asís were among the last to have their land taken away, in June and December 1836, respectively. The ruins of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad circa 1900.