1) The Spanish missions in East Texas originally failed in the early 1700s, causing the Spanish to ignore Texas for over 20 years. 2) In 1713, a French trader named Louis Juchereau de St. Denis traveled through East Texas, alarming the Spanish and causing them to fear French influence in the region. 3) In 1716, the Spanish led a new expedition to East Texas to establish missions, with St. Denis serving as a guide. They successfully established the Mission San Francisco de los Tejas and five other missions.