Old Mission
Founded 1804
Capuchin Franciscan
Santa Inés
Solvang, California
Sacred Heart Sisters
Mission Santa Inés

Chumash Revolt

Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. From 1810, during the Mexican war for independence the Missions had been denied the annual income for their support. This financial support came from the Pious Fund that was established by the Spanish monarchy but had been confiscated by the military government in Mexico. Between 1821 and 1824, the soldiers were not receiving their pay or their annual material support from Mexico. The Presidios began to pressure the Missions to increase the goods and Chumash labor supplied to the military. Payment was given in IOUs.

This was situation when a La Purisima Chumash visited Mission Santa Inés. During a verbal confrontation with a sergeant at the Mission, the Chumash was seized and whipped. The mounting frustration of both the Chumash and the soldiers reached its peak with the whipping and the revolt of 1824 began.

At Mission Santa Inés the revolt lasted less than a week. Chumash from La Purisima joined with the Mission Chumash and fired upon the soldiers with bows and arrows. The soldiers set fire to the Chumash homes and when the Church caught fire, the Chumash stopped the assault. None of the Mission friars were ever in danger because the Chumash respected and had a great affection for them. The revolt was against the soldiers. The next day some soldiers from the Presidio in Santa Barbara arrived to assist the Mission soldiers.

Father Uria was taken by the soldiers to Mission Santa Barbara and later he was reassigned to Mission San Luis Obispo. Mission La Purisima was not restored and the most of the Chumash left.

The revolt continued at Mission Santa Barbara, long after the conflict at Mission Santa Inés ended.