![]() Many former slaves and veterans of the war served at forts throughout the territory. What started as a trickle of people in the early 1800s accelerated after the Civil War, becoming a deluge in the late 1860s as young men and families looked west for opportunity and a brighter future. New Mexico Becomes an American TerritoryĪfter the Mexican American War culminated in 1848, the United States invested considerable resources into establishing a strategic array of forts to protect their supply lines coming in from the east and to protect the steady stream of settlers, prospectors and speculators moving into the territory. ![]() The Spanish knew that, but the Americans didn’t get the memo. Regardless of seasonal fluctuations, it was always a bad idea to try to establish a permanent settlement on Apache land. During periods of drought, when famine was the alternative, they were fierce adversaries, raiding and ransacking villages. During good years, when game was plentiful, they were trading partners with the pueblos and neighboring tribes. They moved with the harvest and the herds, roaming an immense area encompassing southern Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. ![]() Prior to the 1800s there were no permanent settlements between El Paso and Socorro for a very good reason…Apache.
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