What was the main reason Spain built missions along Georgia’s Barrier Islands?

Answer 1

Spain built missions along Georgia’s Barrier Islands primarily to expand its territorial claims in the New World and to spread Christianity among the Native American populations. The missions aimed to convert Indigenous peoples to Catholicism, establish Spanish cultural influence, and provide a strategic buffer against European powers, particularly Britain. Additionally, these missions served to secure the region against potential encroachments by other colonial powers, thus reinforcing Spain's presence in the southeastern part of North America.