Captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2008 captioning performed by vitac there are these briti britishtrading posts. And theyre going to be involved in that story when we discuss that document. I want you to get a feel for those. And basically, have a sense of new mexico as a kind of salient moving up in the southwestern north america. A colony really surrounded by a lot of areas not in any way conformed by the spanish. That will help form our discussion when we get into that document. Now lets talk a little bit about why the spanish presence is somewhat halting. If you look at the spanish empire as a whole, what do you figure is your top priority as an emperial official in somewhere like madrid or mexico city or lima . Protect the mines. Exactly, in places like mexico and peru. Are there any lucrative mines . Later on, yes. If you think about the spanish empire as a whole, it extends to the southern portions of south america, includes peru, bolivia, chile, south america. This fringe, new mexico and texas, is a long way from the centers of the spanish empire and tends not to be the priority. In that sense its not that surprising that it takes a while for the spanish to begin launching these forrays into the plains. Theres other ways the spanish can allocate their resources. If you recall the coronado exped dition, one we didnt talk about that much in the early 1600s. Do you recall how those went . Not great. So the spanish went out there and discovered thousands of formidable plains undians who werent necessarily going to welcome the spanish. The spanish found the plains were metered reward and significant danger. Thats one factor that held spanish expansion back until they started getting worried about the french. The texas just gets going in the early decades of the 18th century, in the early decades of the 1700s. What do you think is the impetus for the expansion of Spanish Missions. Whats happening east of texas that might inspire yeah . [ inaudible ]. Thats exactly it. The french begin a colony in louisiana in 1699. Some french exploration down the mississippi even before 1699. The spanish are nervous about the presence of these french guys, the presence of a french colony that may be a threat to mexico and new mexico. And that is the primary reason. The spanish expansion into texas is generally a few missions with a small number of soldiers to go with them. Good date to remember is the founding of san antonio in 1718. Its a site that, well, what do the spanish generally look for before they found a mission or ce settlement of some kind . Established settlement already. Thats exactly what they mind. San antonio is already a place with irrigated fields. So the spanish in keeping with their pattern are trying to move into an area that seems compatible with their style of life and also to grow food. And the open again is also the spanish are always looking for settled agricultural uindians. They think they are most compatible to christianization. Its easier to establish a church that can work with them. In fact, the way the Spanish Missions in texas work, theyre not a great success. Generally speaking its only the most desperate indians who go there. Who dont have a choice about they go to the missions for lack of anything better. Population doesnt really increase. The idea of what would bring texas indians to Spanish Missions, what might make them appealing sites go ahead. [ inaudible ]. Yeah. This is a big factor. One, the reasons well talk about, texas is a dangerous place in the 1700s. And these Spanish Missions they establish with them are one potential place of refuge. Theres fortifications, spanish soldiers with guns, alliance with the spanish empire. Indians are just looking for a place they can take refuge in the 18th century. Another way to think about this, its something that historians have talked about is that for a lot of indians who went to these texas missions, they didnt see it as that major a step or change in the way they were living. There was that kind of seasoned migration of indian groups from one place to another. Maybe theyd be getting nuts from one particular globe of trees, moving inland. Texas indians viewed the Spanish Missions as another stop in their seasonal migrations. There would be food, a place of refuge. It viewed them as an adaptation of their lifestyle rath ir than a total change in it. You do get some of these Spanish Missions. Not though a great success. They dont generate a lot of wealth. They dont get a lot of people. Highly vulnerable to indian raids. They are pretty precarious. Quite vulnerable to indians in that area. One way you can get a sense of that vulnerability is to look at something we can call the san saba fiasco which is a spanish effort to move north well beyond san antonio. So at the request of some local apachendians in 1757 they build a mission at san saba in 1757. Spanish mission, 1757. In 1758, one year later, a group of indians, an alliance of comanche and wichita indians, and groups from the north annihilate the san saba mission. So seeing that that area, viewing that as unacceptable, the spanish try to pursue the ka manch comanches and their allies north. They find a camp with a stockade and ditch. Its flying a french flag. And the spanish who attacked this fortification claim theres all kinds of guns and ammunition and a french presence there. They claim there are people carrying french flags and wearing french uniforms. The spanish are repelled with about 52 People Killed or wounded. The key point is the weakness of the span nicish in texas. They have mobile striking power on horses, they can also build fortifications that can repel a they dont have a clear military advantage in places like texas. That helps explain why theres a Spanish Movement to texas and why its relatively limited. Mexico is also an interesting case. The other key spanish salient in north america at this time of our course. Well talk about california on wednesday. New mexico remains as you see from that map, similar to what its been throughout the course. It doesnt have a massive expansion in the 1700s. New mexico as was the case in the 17th century, is never a big revenue generator for the spanish empire. French in places like louisiana are convinced it is, but new mexico is a poor Frontier Colony at the end of a long supply route. It never finds the silver mines, for example, the spanish were hoping for. Its a poor saliaent up in the north. In 1765, only about 10,000 people of spanish descent in pueblo, new mexico. Its relatively small and poor in terms of population. Isolated at the end of a long supply route and doesnt have any big earning commodity. Theres some trade idea how new mexico as a colony would make money and what its economic base would be. Yeah . [ inaudible ]. Theres some production of sort of local crops, but thats not a great export commodity. A small fur trade, but not especially lucrative. Theres a slave trade in new mexico sending undian slaves taken in raids around new mexico down into mexico itself. And so in that sense from the sort of brutal logic of an early modern colony, the fact new mexico was up there in the middle of undians not part of the spanish line system does mean theres more indian groups they can raid for slaves. That is part of new mexicos economy. The biggest problem new mexico has in addition to the fact that economically its relatively meager is, what would you guess is the biggest problem new mexico has, just looking at that map. Yeah . [ inaudible ]. Its a longer way from the center and all that goes with it like help. If its a long way from the centers of spanish power, what is it very close to . Lots of very angry indians. Thats right. Theres a lot of indian peoples surrounding new mexico who become more and more formidable as the 1700s go on. New mexico has to worry about the uts to the north and comanches to the west and apaches who are all over the place and the navajos to the northwest. Theres a lot of people. A lot of indian groups that the governor of new mexico has to be concerned about. New mexico is a highly vulnerable colony. A little sorry rond urrounded. And some of the indians surrounding it are carrying french weapons. One big difference between the spanish colonies in new mexico and texas and the french colonies in places like louisiana is the spanish discourage a trade in guns. The french encourage a trade in guns with western indians which makes the spanish very nervous. Their potential enemies are much better armed. Lets talk now about lets switch from the spanish colonies and talk about these indians out on the plains themselves. Weve already had little hints of a very interesting story thats going on. Lets first go back in time a little bit and talk about some of the developments that are going to lead up to what happened to what we see in the 1700s. The first thing to talk about is that when were talking about the sven 01700s, there are a lo indian communities who are growing crops. You have big towns sor s surrouy fields growing things like corn. This Development Starts about 1700 a. D. Well go back, prehistory of the course. What you see is very gradually the sort of movement of the growing of corn, moving up mississippi and moving west along the tributaries to the point where a river like missouri by the 1700s has these significant villages growing a lot of corn around them. They are surrounded by corn fields. So the pawnees are another example of these communities. And what characterized what tends to happen to communities when they can grow a lot of food. Thanksgiving is just the perfect preparation for this. They are very sluggish. Cant move quickly, and their population grows. One thing you get is the pawnee and other towns of people like this are often really big. Hundreds or even thousands of People Living in these fortified substantial villages or towns along the tributaries of the mississippi and missouri. Its a new style of life at least from what had been there before this before 700. These villages arent just growing corn. Theyre alsohunting buffalo. They are often making stuff, involved in handicraft and basic production. They start getting horses. The spanish see some of these and the spanish and french continue to see them. These big towns out on the plains. Thats one big sort of feature of the plains at this time. Theres another big feature of the plains. This is what makes the plains an exciting and dramatic place in the 1700s. Lets go back to youru conni ic image of the north american indian, a guy on a horse. When does that start . When the spanish arrive, french arrive and europeans arrive, are there horses in north america . There are not. Shortly thereafter there are horses. There used to be a lot of horses but they went extinct. The spanush bring horses with them. What would happen, the Spanish Movement to new mexico. Horses give them a military advantage over their neighbors. What would happen to some of those horses in the normal run of events . [ inaudible ]. Theyll escape. Horses can move. Thats part of their appeal. They can be stolen was another possibility. But even before, even by the middle of the 17th century, some horses are getting away from the spanish and into the possession of some of those indian people around new mexico. So thats one thing that happens. And then theres that other o happens. That pueblo revolt of 1680 when the spanish get driven out of mexico. Ngss to the spanish being temporarily driven out, lots of control in 1680 and a dispersing into the regions out new mexico. For a few moments, think of yourself as a horse. Its always constructive. All right. So you get away from the spanish. Youre feeling good. Maybe you cross that range of mou mountains and take a look over the plains. What do you think . This is my lucky day, okay, because i just found one of the best places in the world to be a horse. What is there on the plains . Lots and lots of grass and not lots of horses. There are those buffalo things but you can deal with them. When the horses get away from new mexico, especially those who get on to the plains. This is a great place to be a horse and horses multiply quickly on the plains. Thats the horse side of the story. Theres this other side of the story as well. If you are one of these indian groups around new mexico, north of new mexico, maybe moving on to the plains yourself and suddenly you see these big animals. You have some knowledge they can be domesticated and with a little experimentation you pick up the horse for yourself. You have people who for millennials had hunted, lived on foot and now have one of the more formidable creatures of the modern world. If you want a good example from people who profit from the spanish horses, the comanches are one. They are rerelated to the shishonees. They move down into the plains at a time when horses are already there. The comanches relatively quickly adopt horses for themselves and make it a critical part of their lifestyle. They essentially become a mounted people. Whats the advantage of being a mounted people on the plains. What can you do if you have horses . [ inaudible ]. You can hunt buffalo. Its much easier to hunt buffalo when you have horses. What are some of the benefits of hunting buffalo . [ inaudible ]. Absolutely. [ inaudible ]. Yep, absolutely. A great source of protein and other items to sell to other people. You can sell buffalo hydes when you go to trade fairs. Horses give people something they can hunt at a greater distance more efficiently and take advantage of the buffaloes of the plains who when the horses got there, the buffalo also said this is a great place to be a buffalo. So thats one thing. Now thats nice, okay. You can hunt buffalo. Thats good. What else can you do with your horses . Yeah. [ inaudible ]. Yeah, and thats kind of neutral language. You can expand your control. What would that expansion of control feel like . You could get on your horse and maybe get a lance or trade with a gun and move quickly and you have a big military advantage over the folks youve had a quarrel with. One group moves over into west texas. One group hangs on the plains. These comanches are now, and there are other groups like this, are now militarily a formidable group. Even without rifles. When they get guns from the french. They can take what they want and then disappear before the spanish can get them. They can choose the point to attack. They can attack the apache settlements. The apaches had been the dominant group in that area. After the comanches get horses the apaches are no longer the dominant group. They disperse off the Southern Plains. Some look for refuge with the Spanish Missions in texas. But they are driven away essentially by the comanches who become this dominant horse on the Southern Plains over the course of the 1700s. Its important to know that they can raid but that trading pont is important as well. In some years the comanches or groups like them will show up at a trade fair and it will be peaceful. Theyll Exchange Buffalo items. Other years theyll raid the spanish. It depends on a variety of factors. Theres altercation between violent rinteractions and rathe peaceful interactions. One of the great ironies, it extends to a number of different plains peoples over the course of the 1700s. As the horse moves north, different peoples adopt horses. The sioux will eventually adopt horses. You get a lot of tumult on the plains. Some grops profit from horses. Some groups are terrified by groups that have horses. You can see some of the consequences of people beginning to move easily across the plains and raid one another. One of the great ironies of this. Who are the baddest people in history . [ inaudible ]. I think they are you get into the 20th century, theres a lot of competition. Before the 20 century, i think genghis khan you could argue. Before that, artilla and the hon huns. I mean no quarrel with mongolia. I think if you took a poll, theyd come up. What characterizes some of the baddest yes. [ inaudible ]. Absolutely. So one of the great continuities of eurasian history is they get horses and that enables them to be these formidable mounted people. They dont have guns but these compound bows. 12 horses at a time to ride at a sprint and then shift horses. Youll see this alterination between the nomads and the settled peoples who always have to deal with this presence to the north. Any idea when the step nomads are done as a feature of eurasian history . Basically yeah, go ahead. [ inaudible ]. Even earlier, actually. Its really the 18th century where china launches this expansion out to the west and destroys the major step empires out there in the west. This goes well beyond our course. This feature of eurasian history ends. They are no longer worried about step nomads. What is ironic is that exactly the moment that a certain kind of lifestyle, certain kind of military technology or tactics, exactly the moment its over, finished, antiquated in eurasia, it suddenly appears on the plains of north america. Theres this balancing mechanism in the world where horses crop up and they have their heyday in north america. Should we take a break . Pardon me . [ inaudible ]. I didnt think about that. I didnt think about that. Let me look at a few more points. Where do the french fit into this whole story . The french are trying to expand from louisiana and canada. They have a number of objecti objectives. Finishing up the discussion of the spread of the horse s on to the plains. People rising and falling very quickly. The shishon indians with the bows everyone was so frightened of. When lewis clark go west, the shishonees are hiding in the rockies trying to survive. People with a brief moment of dominance on the plains, its often brief. The acquisition of horses and rifles. Its going to be brief. Thats going to lead into the 19th century. The other factor, what i talked about how if you are a horse and you imagine you go out in the mountains and plains and say this is totally excellent, assuming theres two horses, what happens relatively quickly after the horses get on to the plains and start eating grass . And then indian groups breeding horses. You have a lot of horses on the plains. Already a lot of buffaloes on the plains. They seem to have no apparent end. They do have an end and so what happens, and also the climate is highly unstable. Wet periods, dry periods, hot periods, cold periods. What happens when you have thousands of new yeah . [ inaudible ]. Exactly. So certainly by the 19th century you have hints of an ecocrisis on the plains when theres too many grass eating animals out there. Theres only so many animals the plains can sustain. It just gives you a sense of introducing Something Like the horse into a new environment, the conseq