Why East? / Who Were The Franciscans?

Why East?, also, Who Were The Franciscans?. Dominguez y Escalante Expedition 1776 . 1976. , Why East?, The purpose of Fathers Dominguez and Escalante's journey through this region in 1776 was to find a route to Spanish missions in Monterey. During the first 2½ weeks of the expedition, the Fathers' route took them to the northwest, ever closer to their objective. After camping near the town of Egnar, however, the expedition turned northeast and for two weeks followed a new course which took them away from their objective. Why did they turn east? It was a momentous decision, for it cost them precious time and contributed to their failure to reach Monterey. How different history might have been had they succeeded., Several factors played a role in the decision to turn east. Perhaps most important was the party's difficulties in the Dolores Canyon. Several days were lost in an attempt to travel through this box canyon. The party eventually turned back because of the extreme difficulty of the route., This experience impressed on the explorers the need for an Indian guide. Their lack of knowledge of the area could, they knew, cause them other difficulties as well. Increasingly they were having trouble finding enough water for the men and horses. Shortage of food was also becoming a concern., Though they knew virtually nothing of the region to the west, their Spanish guide was familiar with the territory to the east as far north as the Gunnison River. He had traveled with Rivera, a well known Spanish explorer, eleven years earlier into this area. Spanish traders had also visited the area and had returned with information. The Fathers, therefore, knew of a tribe of Sabuangana Utes to their east and hoped to retain one of them as a guide., The expedition failed to reach Monterey. The advance of winter and other difficulties forced them to return to Santa Fe. It is interesting to speculate how the map of North America might look now had Dominguez and Escalante succeeded., Who Were The Franciscans?, The Franciscans take their name from their founder St. Francis of Assisi. At the age of twenty-five, St. Francis gave his worldly possessions to the poor and founded a religious order based on the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. The Franciscans wore long, coarse tunics tied at the waste with a cord. Three knots in the cord were constant reminders of their vows. While most Franciscans wore brown habits, a color symbolizing humility and closeness to the earth, evidence suggests that the New Mexican Franciscans of the 1700's wore habits of dark blue cloth in honor of the Virgin Mary. The New World Franciscans wore wide brim hats to shade and protect them from the fierce sun, and when travelling long distances, wore chamois mocassins called "gamuzi" instead of sandals. Most friars wore a tonsure, a haircut with a circular bald area shaved and formed to signify the clerical state. Their greeting of goodness to rich or poor, "May God give you peace," always travelled in the company of a Franciscan., The first Franciscans to the New World came with Columbus and for four centuries the order was instrumental in the land's settlement. Their desire to spread Christianity and care for people led Franciscans into dangerous situations on the many frontiers of the Spanish empire., Francisco Dominguez at thirty-six was the head of all Franciscan missions in New Mexico, while twenty-six-year-old Escalante was the pastor of the Zuni mission. Both were scrupulous men, meticulous in detail and strong in their deep conviction and faith in God. Twice during their epic journey, the padres cast lots to determine their course, believing that God would influence the drawing and point them in the right direction. The strength and stability their faith gave them were cornerstones in the successful completion of their journey through the American southwest., "May God give you peace.", Erected August 15, 1976.