Global Christian Missionary Expansion

Timeline

1. 1501–1505Hispaniola and the Caribbean · CaribbeanFranciscan and Dominican friars established the first mission stations in Hispaniola, Cuba, and elsewhere, teaching Christian doctrine in Spanish to indigenous peoples such as the Taíno while also participating in colonial authorities' supervision of indigenous 'protection' and forced-labor systems; missionary activity was deeply intertwined with colonial settlement.
2. 1506–1510Goa, India, and the African coast · IndiaPortugal established colonial footholds in Mozambique in East Africa, Goa in India, and elsewhere; Franciscan missionaries arrived with trading vessels and fleets, beginning to preach to local populations and learn local languages. The papacy divided missionary jurisdictions through papal bulls, laying an institutional framework for global missionary expansion.