Have you ever done something you thought was good, but later you found out that it hurt someone else?
The Franciscan priests in California believed they were starting missions to save souls. They also wanted to teach the native people to live the way the missionaries thought was right. They thought they were helping the California Indians, but many Indians were treated very harshly. The mission system even caused some native societies to disappear. Others could no longer live the way their people had lived for thousands of years. Read about the mission system. Then, decide for yourself whether it helped or hurt the California Indians.
