Room 31's Study of the

Mission San Rafael Arcángel

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The name of my mission is Mission San Rafael Archangel. Mission San Rafael was founded on December 14,1817 by Father Vicente de Sarria. It is 20 miles north of the city of San Francisco in San Rafael. It was built as an asistencia (sub-mission) for the many sick Indians at Mission Dolores.

The name of the tribe that lived at the mission was Coastal Miwok. They made their homes out of poles covered with bunches of grass, tule reed, and ferns.

The daily life at the mission was that the Indians would herd cattle, horses, and sheep. They also learned Spanish and about Christianity. The padres would often beat runaway neophytes.

In 1834 the mission closed down because the Mexican government took over. Mission San Rafael Archangel was abandoned and eventually torn down in 1861. I t was later restored and today tourists still visit the mission. These are some facts about Mission San Rafael Archangel.