Serra Museum Education Program
Water ~ Barter ~ Shelter ~ Food ~ Dig Box ~ City Life ~ Mission & Rancho Life

Barter and Trade

At the mission, the priests brought in cattle and sheep. These animals ate up all the grass and brush on the flat places around the mission. The animals that the Kumeyaay used for food, like squirrels, deer and antelope, had to go into the canyons and up into the hills to find food, which made it harder for the Kumeyaay to hunt them.

Under the laws of the Spanish king, food and things that were made in the San Diego area had to stay in the area. Beginning in 1821, when the country of Mexico took over the land from Spain, the people could sell their goods to anyone they wanted. Most of the good land was taken away from the missions, who had taken it away from the Indians. The land was given to important men who started great ranchos with cattle and sheep that had belonged to the mission. Soon there were huge herds of cattle grazing all around San Diego. When the cattle were killed for their hides, there were many uses for the parts left over. Meat, horns, hooves and other body parts each had their uses. This was the start of a great time of trading in San Diego, as ships started coming into the harbor to buy the hides, animal fat for making into candles and soap, and spoons and buttons made from the horns of the animals.

Many things were brought to San Diego on these ships, and it was an exciting day when a ship's storeroom was open for business. Sometimes the whole day was passed on board ship, shopping and trading news and gossip with the sailors. By looking at the records kept by the ship captains, we get an idea of the things that people were buying.

Things to think about:

• Look at the objects displayed in the pullout drawer. If you don't know what something is, turn over the "key card" to see what it is and what it was used for.
• Do you see something that might have started out as a cowhide in San Diego?
• Do you see something that surprises you? Something that we still use today?
• Cattle hides were like money in old San Diego. When you sold cowhides to a ship, you got a piece of paper that told you and the banker how much they were worth. Can you think of a problem with this system?