PDF Summary:Blood and Thunder, by Hampton Sides

The expansion of United States territory into the Southwest led to devastating conflicts with Native American tribes like the Navajo. In Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides, you'll witness how cultural misunderstandings and the American belief in Manifest Destiny fueled violent clashes as troops invaded ancestral Navajo lands.

Sides chronicles a history of betrayal, struggle, and oppression—from initial peace treaties to Navajos' imprisonment at Bosque Redondo reservation. You'll see how complex figures like Kit Carson and General Carleton played pivotal but conflicted roles, revealing the suffering inflicted by America's drive for control. Ultimately, you'll understand the Navajos' resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship.

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The author suggests that the perspective of the Navajos towards Anglo-Americans was shaped by their experiences with illness as well as by both confirmed and presumed hostile actions from white settlers. He emphasizes the devastating spread of smallpox during the 1830s, which led to the tragic loss of many individuals from the tribes. The belief among the Diné grew stronger, linking the presence of white settlers not only with disruptions to their traditions but also with the onset of disease and death, thereby intensifying their deep-seated unease about the encroachment of these newcomers.

The profound bitterness among the Navajo persisted, stemming from the brutal killing of their leaders at Jemez Pueblo in 1822, which obstructed their attempts to begin talks with Mexican officials.

A prolonged period of hostile interactions between white and Hispanic individuals served to deepen the already present distrust. The author highlights the deeply disturbing massacre of Navajo chiefs at Jemez Pueblo in 1822, an act that shattered any chance of peaceful coexistence between the Navajo and the nascent Mexican government. The duplicitous slaying of these chieftains, lured into the community under the guise of friendly negotiations only to be deceitfully slain, served as a somber lesson to numerous Navajo generations regarding the perils of confiding in Hispanic or Anglo-American authorities.

Practical Tips

• You can explore the impact of cultural misunderstandings by starting a journal to document your daily interactions with people from different backgrounds. Note any assumptions you make and the actual outcomes. This practice can help you become more aware of your own cultural biases and improve your communication with others.
• Engage with local indigenous communities by volunteering at cultural events or organizations. This will give you a firsthand understanding of the importance of preserving cultural practices and the challenges faced by these communities.
• Create a personal map of your local area that includes historical events and indigenous significance. This can help you appreciate the layers of history and culture that exist in the places you frequent and foster a deeper connection to the land and its original inhabitants.

Key figures, particularly Kit Carson, were instrumental in the historical conflicts involving the Diné people.

Kit Carson played a pivotal role as a go-between for the Diné and the new settlers, and his involvement in military campaigns led to severe suffering for the Navajo nation.

Carson gained considerable acclaim for his genuine affection toward many native tribes and people, clearly demonstrated through his union with Singing Grass and Making-Out-Road.

The narrative crafted by Hampton Sides depicts Kit Carson as an individual characterized by profound complexity and an inherent sense of tragedy. Sides portrays Carson as an individual who had a sincere regard for the Navajo, forming bonds of friendship and spending his early years as a frontiersman living among them. He understood their customs, spoke their language, and had even married two Native American women, his first wife, Singing Grass, an Arapaho, and later, Making-Out-Road, a Cheyenne.

He carried out the military orders targeting the Navajo people with hesitance, even as his distaste for General Carleton's merciless goals intensified.

Carson found himself torn between his personal ties to Native Americans and his obligations when he had to engage in Carleton's ruthless campaign against the Diné, under the compulsion of his service in the U.S. Army. Carson, although initially reluctant and attempting to moderate the policy's harshest aspects, eventually participated in actions that eradicated their agricultural practices, means of survival, and customary way of life. Sides suggests that the fame Carson achieved through his bold adventures, often exaggerated in mass-produced dime novels and newspaper stories, became inextricably associated with the regrettable results of Carleton's strategies, a legacy that troubled Carson in his final years.

General James Carleton's unyielding efforts to address the challenges associated with the Navajo and the fallout from his inflexible strategies, which ultimately were unsuccessful,

Carleton's aspiration to transform the social fabric of the Bosque Redondo reservation, drawing inspiration from the Tejon Farm reservation model, proved to be an impractical strategy given the distinct cultural and practical needs of the Diné people.

James Henry Carleton, a figure who sparked as much debate as Kit Carson, is depicted by Sides as being driven by an unwavering resolve to implement what he believed to be the definitive solution to the disputes involving the Navajo. He sought to confine the entire Navajo nation within the vast boundaries of Bosque Redondo, with the goal of transforming them into sedentary farmers by eliminating their deep-rooted traditions, in a daring attempt at social reformation that was inherently flawed due to a profound misunderstanding of the Navajo way of life and the unforgiving New Mexico landscape.

Sides depicts Carleton as possessing an optimistic perspective, one that stemmed from his naive confidence in the Tejon Farm reservation system, where the prevailing belief was that, under the stringent oversight of U.S. authorities, Native Americans could be reformed into members of a "civilized" society by engaging in rigorous farming work. The author highlights the tension between the Navajo's valued autonomy and their unfamiliarity with closely-knit living arrangements and structured farming labor, contrasting sharply with their traditional lifestyle.

He possessed a deep-seated reluctance to conform to the traditional customs of New Mexico and was motivated by an ambition to reshape the area, proving its worth to the states in the East and thus smoothing its path toward becoming a state.

Carleton's determination to demonstrate the region's worth to his superiors in the East, particularly to those in Washington who were reluctant to grant statehood to New Mexico, was fueled in part by his lack of respect for the native culture. Carleton aimed to transform the image of New Mexico, shifting it from an area seen as economically dormant and culturally static to a symbol of progress at the edge of American expansion. He firmly believed that by removing the Navajo, whose actions were obstructing economic development, it would clear a path for Anglo-American settlement and potentially spark a gold rush, thus elevating the area's standing among the affluent in America.

Manuelito's tenacious defiance and rise to prominence as the leading Navajo warrior challenged American authority.

Manuelito's unwavering resistance to surrendering to American troops bolstered the Navajo's resolve and epitomized their fierce resistance to being compelled to move to a specific region known as Bosque Redondo.

In Sides's account, Manuelito emerges as a Navajo emblem of resistance, unlike the more conciliatory Narbona. Even as thousands of other Diné faced starvation and despondency, his steadfast resolve to resist American forces bolstered the spirits of his community. Manuelito's steadfast resistance, persisting even after their defeat in the Canyon de Chelly, provided the Navajo with a symbolic figure who embodied their resistance to the compulsory relocation to Bosque Redondo as mandated by Carleton.

In 1866, his act of yielding marked the complete capitulation of the Navajo to the authority of the United States.

In 1866, the moment when Manuelito finally surrendered marked a significant turning point, following his skillful evasion of capture across the vast sacred lands of the Navajo. Sides suggests that the Navajo's surrender was a recognition of their desperate situation, not a shift in their feelings. Manuelito and his band were isolated, facing imminent starvation, and completely without aid due to the relentless strategies that involved destroying all resources that might benefit the enemy. The capitulation signaled the cessation of the tribe's opposition to the United States military and began an era in which the Navajo would embrace less confrontational approaches to preserve their cultural heritage and way of life.

Other Perspectives

• Kit Carson's role in the conflicts with the Diné people is complex, and some historians argue that his actions were more a reflection of the times and military orders than personal animosity towards Native Americans.
• While Carson showed affection for native tribes through personal relationships, his military campaigns still resulted in the suffering of those same peoples, raising questions about the depth and implications of his affections.
• The severe suffering of the Navajo nation under Carson's military actions can be seen as a consequence of broader U.S. policy rather than the actions of a single individual.
• Carson's hesitance to carry out military orders may have been less about personal conflict and more about the practical difficulties and moral implications of the campaign.
• The association of Carson's fame with regrettable outcomes could be interpreted as an oversimplification of historical events, where the fame of individuals often overshadows the systemic and complex nature of historical conflicts.
• General Carleton's strategies, while unsuccessful, could be viewed as an attempt to solve what he perceived as a humanitarian issue, albeit through misguided means.
• Carleton's motivation to reshape New Mexico might be seen as an effort to integrate the territory into the United States economically and politically, which some could argue was a common goal of expansionist policies of the time.
• Manuelito's defiance and the subsequent Navajo resistance can be contextualized as a natural response to the encroachment on their lands and way of life, rather than a direct challenge to American authority.
• The portrayal of Manuelito's surrender as complete capitulation may overlook the resilience and adaptability of the Navajo people, who continued to maintain their cultural identity and autonomy in various forms despite U.S. policies.

The profound effects of the United States' policy of land acquisition, commonly known as Manifest Destiny, on the Navajo nation.

The belief in Manifest Destiny profoundly shaped the United States government's strategy for expanding and incorporating new territories.

The role of ambitious politicians like Senator Thomas Hart Benton in convincing the American people of the need to settle the West and claim the lucrative ports of California

Sides examines the clashes involving the native Navajo people, framing them within the larger narrative of the United States' conviction in Manifest Destiny, which is the idea of certain and unyielding territorial growth, and how this shaped the government's strategy for western expansion. He underscores the passionate engagement of specific politicians, with Missouri's Thomas Hart Benton standing out for his advocacy and promotion of the concept. Benton, a fervent advocate for the growth and trade interests of America, tirelessly advocated for the creation of new routes for wagons and the founding of military stations, promoting the annexation of vast lands. He envisioned a country that stretched across the continent, with vital ports along the Pacific coast to facilitate lucrative trade with China and other nations in Asia. The enticement of extending the country's frontiers was pivotal in garnering public support for the conviction that the acquisition of more territory was both enticing and destined, Sides notes.

The drive to stretch the nation's boundaries, fueled by the desire to build a transcontinental railroad requiring a route through Navajo lands, served as a major economic impetus for the incorporation of extensive regions previously under Mexican rule.

Sides argues that the drive to expand the country's territory and the accompanying surge of nationalistic fervor, often termed Manifest Destiny, was also strongly driven by economic interests. The burgeoning trade en route to Santa Fe, along with the American appetite for beaver pelts and, later on, the allure of gold in California as the 1840s drew to a close, served as powerful incentives in the pursuit of new lands. Sides observes that the grand plan to construct a transcontinental railroad necessitated crossing territories controlled by the Navajo.

Opinions on the Mexican conflict varied widely, including those who passionately supported it and others who vehemently opposed it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson cautioned that the inclusion of Mexican lands could potentially alter the essential nature of America, adding complexity to the already contentious debate over slavery.

Sides acknowledges the individuals who resisted the broadly accepted notion of America's territorial expansion as a divine right. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a leading figure in the Transcendentalist movement, predicted that America's core values would be compromised by the annexation of Mexico. Emerson argued that the drive to acquire vast territories was at odds with America's core democratic principles and would intensify the already disputed issue of slavery.

Ulysses S. Grant condemned the conflict as an unwarranted assault on a less powerful country, foreshadowing the moral quandaries that would challenge the United States in subsequent military engagements.

Sides emphasizes that Ulysses S. Grant was a staunch opponent of the Mexican War, perceiving it as an unequivocal instance of a dominant nation instigating conflict against a weaker one. Grant's evaluation, influenced by his firsthand combat experience, foresaw the complex moral quandaries that would confront the United States' international relations, particularly in the 20th century as the nation found itself involved in further wars of intervention.

The steady arrival of Anglo-American colonists in New Mexico and California disrupted the existing equilibrium between Native American and Hispanic populations.

Entrepreneurial merchants, such as Charles Bent, played a pivotal role in creating a domain of commerce that was already in place before the U.S. military made its presence known in the Southwest.

In his comprehensive historical examination, Sides demonstrates that the path to American dominance was shaped by a series of events that began with the influx of English-speaking traders and colonists prior to Kearny's military takeover. He underscores the pivotal role played by trailblazers such as Charles Bent in the expansion of American economic might, which in turn heightened the demand for new goods and ignited unique disputes among various societal factions. By the late 1830s, Sides notes, the fate of New Mexico had already been decided.

The discovery of precious minerals in 1848 and the ensuing influx of settlers into California accelerated the solidification of American presence and convinced Washington's officials of the urgent need to delineate distinct territories for Native American tribes.

The author portrays the 1848 rush toward Californian gold as a significant accelerant to these pre-existing tendencies. The influx of numerous Anglo prospectors into the area established a new social hierarchy that disregarded traditional customs. The pursuit of gold, though it lined the pockets of a few and brought ruin to many, unquestionably hastened the final stage of America's expansionist desires, leading to significant societal upheaval. Sides argues that the U.S. authorities felt an immediate need to assert control over the intermediate lands and to create an innovative strategy for interacting with Native Americans, which played a crucial role in the creation of a structured reservation system.

Other Perspectives

• While Manifest Destiny was a driving force, it's important to consider other factors like international politics, economic pressures, and individual states' interests that also played roles in territorial expansion.
• Senator Thomas Hart Benton's advocacy for westward expansion was not universally supported, and there were significant opposition and debate over the morality and practicality of such expansion.
• The economic motivations for expansion, such as the transcontinental railroad, must be balanced against the negative impacts on indigenous populations and the environment.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson's concerns about altering America's core values could be contrasted with the argument that the nation was built on a dynamic and evolving set of principles that could accommodate change.
• Ulysses S. Grant's condemnation of the Mexican War can be viewed in the context of his later role as a military leader, where he too made decisions that involved conflict and the use of force.
• The disruption caused by Anglo-American colonists is part of a larger narrative of colonialism and migration that includes multiple perspectives, including those who benefited from such movements.
• The role of entrepreneurs like Charles Bent might be critiqued for overlooking the complex interplay of cultural and economic factors that predated and continued after their arrival.
• The California Gold Rush's impact on American expansion can be seen as part of a global phenomenon of resource exploitation, with varying interpretations of its long-term effects on society and the economy.

The long-lasting consequences of the conflict were profoundly influenced by what the Navajo people went through and how they viewed the events.

The period commonly known as the Long Walk is often considered the most distressing and sorrowful chapter in the history of the Navajo people.

The sense of disorientation and ensuing despair stemmed from the forced relocation from their ancestral lands to unfamiliar and hostile settings where they had to live among their previous enemies.

Sides portrays the distressing experience, often referred to as the Long Walk, by integrating personal stories and oral histories, presenting it as a time of profound tragedy in the history of the Navajo nation. The Navajos were compelled to abandon the vast lands they held dear and embarked on a grueling journey through unfamiliar landscapes, suffering the sorrow of leaving behind not only their grazing lands but also their cherished peach groves, sacred peaks, and sites of spiritual importance. Upon arriving at Bosque Redondo, the Navajos were met with conditions that were desolate and barren, a stark contrast to the promised haven they had been led to expect.

The Navajos encountered severe difficulties and slowly realized that their traditional existence and collective endurance were jeopardized while they were residing in Bosque Redondo.

Sides meticulously describes the severe difficulties the Navajos faced while under American rule. The armed forces faced the challenge of limited supplies, water that was often polluted and salty, and severe weather conditions that differed greatly from the cooler, higher altitudes they were used to. The region, which had been assured to yield plentiful crops, instead yielded only meager harvests. The harvest of maize was severely impacted by an outbreak of cutworms, a species of insect not previously recognized in the area, causing considerable hardship for many families due to sickness. Sides argues that the displacement resulted in a significant erosion of the Navajo people's self-respect and spirit. Their extraordinary resilience in enduring tremendous physical difficulties was eclipsed by the deep effect on their morale from losing autonomy and being compelled to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings.

Barboncito rose to prominence as a key spokesperson for the Navajo, significantly influencing their defiance at the bosque.

He passionately appealed to General Sherman in the 1868 negotiations, expressing the intense hardships his people endured while being forcibly detained in the Bosque Redondo area.

Despite his initial hesitation to take on the role, Barboncito stepped up to guide the Navajos during the trying period at the Bosque Redondo. Sides depicts Barboncito as a respected figure, celebrated for his calm demeanor, hailing from the Canyon de Chelly region. For a considerable period, Manuelito epitomized the tribe's staunch resistance to the encroaching settlers, while Barboncito took a contrasting stance, focusing on diplomacy and the essentiality of establishing rapport with representatives from the United States.

Sides's poignant portrayal captures Barboncito's sincere entreaty to General Sherman during the 1868 peace negotiations, where he articulated the intense hardships his nation suffered during their exile to the Bosque, highlighting the deep anguish and challenges his people went through. Sherman found himself convinced by Barboncito's eloquent speech and dignified demeanor, arriving at the belief that the path to peace necessitated the return of the Navajos to their ancestral territories, recognizing that the efforts at Bosque Redondo had not yielded the desired outcomes.

The tribe celebrated greatly when the Bosque Redondo Reservation was dissolved, marking their return to the lands of their ancestors.

The news that the Navajos were allowed to return to their ancestral territories after Bosque Redondo was shut down filled them with immense joy. Sides recounts the instance where numerous Navajos embarked on their arduous trek towards the west, triumphantly proclaiming, "With grace, we proceed!" The Diné sought to reclaim their sacred mountains, abundant peach orchards, and grazing fields for their flocks.

The lasting influence of the United States' westward growth and its subsequent dominion over areas formerly inhabited by the Navajo.

The Diné's steadfast determination to maintain their traditions and their deep-seated resistance to moving eastward was exemplified in a ritual that featured the coyote.

Sides depicts the steadfast commitment of the Navajo people to their cultural heritage, which has persisted despite numerous obstacles. He highlights a customary Navajo ceremony in which a coyote, once held within a human-made enclosure, is bestowed with a present prior to its release. Barboncito highlighted the significance of regaining their native territories by likening it to the natural inclination of a coyote racing toward the setting sun for his followers.

The reluctant acceptance by the Navajo of a reduced reservation area and the recognition of another nation's lasting dominance over their way of life.

The cessation of the Bosque Redondo epoch heralded a relatively tranquil phase, yet Sides underscores the lasting impacts stemming from the United States' territorial expansion. Upon their return, the Navajos found themselves restricted to a reservation, an area much smaller than their ancestral territories, with boundaries imposed by officials in Washington, D.C. The Navajo, celebrating their return to the lands of their forebears, acknowledged the enduring presence of the newcomers and understood that their future hinged on navigating the complexities of coexistence with a prevailing nation.

Practical Tips

• You can deepen your understanding of historical resilience by creating a personal journal that reflects on modern challenges and how you overcome them. By documenting your own experiences with adversity, you can draw parallels to the Navajo's perseverance and maintain a record of your personal growth, much like how the Navajos maintained their traditions despite hardships.
• Explore the impact of environment on well-being by temporarily changing your routine or surroundings. This could involve spending a weekend in a different setting, such as camping in nature, to experience disorientation and adaptation firsthand. Reflect on how this change affects your mood and behavior, connecting it to the Navajo experience of forced relocation and the importance of a familiar environment for mental health.
• Cultivate empathy and understanding of cultural loss by learning and practicing an element of a culture different from your own, such as a craft, cooking traditional recipes, or learning a few phrases in another language. This hands-on approach can give you a personal sense of the value of cultural traditions and the impact of their potential loss, akin to the Navajo's struggle to maintain their way of life.