| While the English colonies were gaining a foothold on the east coast
of North America, the Spanish were busy building missions
and establishing large ranches called haciendas in the
West. By the time Jamestown was founded in 1607, Mexico City had been a
thriving Spanish city for more than half a century, and Spanish missions
were already established in what is now the state of New Mexico. By the
early 1800s the Spanish had settlements in the West that reached as far
north as the present site of San Francisco, California.
|
| |
| On your globe, find the cities of Mexico City, Mexico at 20N/99W and
San Francisco at 37N/122W. Use you globe's mounting ring to determine
the great circle distance between Mexico City and San Francisco. How far
is it? (1.) _________________________ What direction is San Francisco
from Mexico City? (2.) _____________________________
|
| |
| One of the things that helped the Spanish govern settlements
scattered over such long distances was an excellent road network called
El Camino Real. |
