Introduction: Presidios of the North American Spanish borderlands

Presidios were an important part of the Spanish colonial system. In general, they were fortified settlements with an assigned military contingent. Presidios exhibited a wide range of variation as they adapted to local needs, materials, and populations. Historical and archaeological information from eight presidios in the North American Spanish Borderlands from San Francisco to St. Augustine are summarized. They provide much new information about presidios as a distinctive type of settlement and on the development of Hispanic frontier culture. This publication marks the beginning of bringing North American borderland presidios into the mainstream of historical archaeology. The presidio was an important frontier settlement of the Spanish frontier, and their residents were the frontline of acculturation. Cultural and biological hybrids developed at presidios and became the foundation for a significant part of modern-day culture in the southern half of the United States.