The La Salle expedition showed that France was interested in what is now Texas. The Spanish decided that to protect their daim, they needed settlements there. Over the
next several decades, Spain established missions, military outposts called presidios,
and towns in lands occupied by American Indians. These efforts by the Spanish in the
late 1690s helped begin and define the Spanish Colonial era.
-Texas History
Based on the excerpt, what was the significance of the La Salle expedition to the
Spanish?
A) It sparked Spanish fears for potential French interest in Texas.
B) It gave the French more land occupied by American Indians.
C) It increased Spanish interest in giving up the Mississippi River Valley.
D) It emphasized the risks of having too many missions spread out.