Spanish missions in New Mexico and Arizona were Catholic projects of the Spanish Empire (16th–19th centuries) during colonization. Hundreds of missions, some permanent and some temporary, were founded by different religious orders and spread Christianity across the Southwest before the United States existed. Colonization allowed exchange of goods and farming techniques, but it also caused loss of indigenous practices and major social and political changes.
Spanish missions in New Mexico and Arizona were Catholic projects of the Spanish Empire (16th–19th centuries) during colonization. Hundreds of missions, some permanent and some temporary, were founded by different religious orders and spread Christianity across the Southwest before the United States existed. Colonization allowed exchange of goods and farming techniques, but it also caused loss of indigenous practices and major social and political changes.