Mexican secularization act of 1833

E22467

The Mexican secularization act of 1833 was a law that dismantled the mission system in Mexican California by transferring control of mission lands and assets from the Catholic Church to civil authorities and private hands.


Statements (33)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Mexican federal law
law
appliesTo California missions
mission Indians
appliesToInstitution Spanish-era missions in Alta California
appliesToTerritory Alta California
Mexican California
chronology implemented in the 1830s
country Mexico
effect decline of Franciscan control over Native populations in California
distribution of former mission lands as ranchos
end of mission system as primary institution in Alta California
transfer of mission buildings and lands to civil administration
effectOnPopulation dispossession of many Native Californians from mission lands
increase in landholdings of Californio elites
historicalPeriod Mexican period in California history
legalAction confiscation of mission lands
expropriation of church property
transfer of mission administration to civil authorities
longTermEffect foundation for later American-era land disputes in California
reduction of institutional Catholic Church landholdings in California
transition from mission economy to rancho economy in California
mainSubject Catholic Church property
mission lands
secularization of missions
partOf Mexican liberal reforms of the 1830s
politicalContext anticlerical policies of Mexican liberal governments
post-independence reorganization of church–state relations in Mexico
purpose dismantle the mission system in Mexican California
redistribute mission lands into private hands
transfer mission lands and assets from the Catholic Church to civil authorities
religiousContext Franciscan missions in California
Roman Catholic Church

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Spanish missions in California
significantEvent

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