De León and Massanet both wanted to establish missions to spread Christianity. They thought the American Indians were excellent candidates to convert to the Catholic religion. Massanet felt the missions only needed five soldiers, while De León felt they needed fifty. De León and Massanet had a difference in opinion about the amount of military presence needed at the missions. De León wanted to establish a large military force and intimidate the Caddo. Massanet believed the missions only needed God’s protection and that sending large numbers of soldiers would send the wrong message.
