Question

In what ways did California's geography influence the building of Spanish forts and missions?
(1 point)
Responses

Building forts and missions inland where the soil was rich provided better opportunities for farming.
Building forts and missions inland where the soil was rich provided better opportunities for farming.

Building forts and missions in the northern part of the state provided shelter in densely populated forests.
Building forts and missions in the northern part of the state provided shelter in densely populated forests.

Building forts and missions along the southern coast provided easy access to trade routes.
Building forts and missions along the southern coast provided easy access to trade routes.

Building forts and missions in mountainous areas near Gold Rush towns provided opportunities for wealth.

Answer 1

Building forts and missions along the southern coast provided easy access to trade routes.

This statement best describes how California's geography influenced the building of Spanish forts and missions. The Spanish chose coastal locations for their missions and forts (presidios) primarily due to their ease of access by sea, which was the main mode of transportation and resupply for the Spanish at the time. Access to trade routes was crucial for the exchange of goods, communication, and the defense strategy of the Spanish Empire. Coastal sites also enabled the missions to serve as bases for missionary work, to facilitate the colonization of the territory, and to act as strategic points of control along the Pacific coastline.