6. A Shaky Welcome: Seismic Risk and Mission Building on the Pacific Coast 1700–1830

Abstract

As missionaries, soldiers, and settlers from New Spain moved up the Pacific Coast of North America in the last half of the eighteenth century, they brought traditions, including construction styles and methods, from other regions. This chapter investigates how the seismic history of the Pacific Coast and particularly Alta California intersected with the built environment plans of New Spain's secular empire builders and religious missionaries. It provides evidence that indicates that in earlier times when seismic events occurred they had an impact on the behavior of the resident population whether native American or European colonizers and in the latter case even influenced their building choices. In other words they did not just pass off earthquake disasters as acts of God. Keywords:eighteenth century; Pacific Coast; religious missionaries; seismic events; seismic risk