The Spanish took possession of California in 1769, and began the process of missionization. Mission San Luis Obispo was founded in 1772 to colonize the frontier lands and convert the local Chumash. By the early 1800s, nearly the entire Chumash population was converted. Missionization effectively ended the traditional Chumash culture and land use practices, and too few unconverted Chumash remained outside the system to continue their traditional practices.