Nuestra Señora de la Soledad was founded in 1791 by a friar named Fermin Francisco de Lasuén. It was the thirteenth mission to be founded. Life at Soledad was challenging for everyone. The area around Soledad was hot and dry in the summer and very cold in the winter. In the early 1800’s an aqueduct was built to regularize the water supply, helping crops to grow, making life for both the friars and the Indians more manageable and less grueling. The content provided in this book, aligned to California state standards, will provide students with a greater insight into the story of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and California’s mission system. This book is filled with excellent primary source materials and visuals, including illustrations, paintings, and maps.

Nuestra Señora de la Soledad was founded in 1791 by a friar named Fermin Francisco de Lasuén. It was the thirteenth mission to be founded. Life at Soledad was challenging for everyone. The area around Soledad was hot and dry in the summer and very cold in the winter. In the early 1800's an aqueduct was built to regularize the water supply, helping crops to grow, making life for both the friars and the Indians more manageable and less grueling. The content provided in this book, aligned to California state standards, will provide students with a greater insight into the story of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and California's mission system. This book is filled with excellent primary source materials and visuals, including illustrations, paintings, and maps.

The story of the missions is a compelling human drama that is a vital piece not only of California history, but also of American history. Indeed, many keys to California's past lie in the stories of the 20 missions that stretch along the state's west coast from San Diego to San Francisco. This vital series is compatible with the mission-baed curriculum used in fourth-grade California classrooms. It resonates equally with all social studies programs that explore the defunct notion of colonialism and its controversial role in the history of the United States, and with curricula that seek to explore the interaction of different cultures and the rights and voices of indigenous peoples.

Learn about the rich history of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad: how it started, the people who ran it, the indigenous population, and its legacy today.