Synopses & Reviews
Borderlands violence, so explosive in our own time, has deep roots in history. Lance R. Blythand#8217;s study of Chiricahua Apaches and the presidio of Janos in the U.S.-Mexican borderlands reveals how no single entity had a monopoly on coercion, and how violence became the primary means by which relations were established, maintained, or altered both within and between communities.
and#160;and#160;For more than two centuries, violence was at the center of the relationships by which Janos and Chiricahua formed their communities. Violence created families by turning boys into men through campaigns and raids, which ultimately led to marriage and also determined the provisioning and security of these families; acts of revenge and retaliation similarly governed their attempts to secure themselves even as trade and exchange continued sporadically. This revisionist work reveals how during the Spanish, Mexican, and American eras, elements of both conflict and accommodation constituted these two communities, which previous historians have often treated as separate and antagonistic. By showing not only the negative aspects of violence but also its potentially positive outcomes, Chiricahua and Janos helps us to understand violence not only in the southwestern borderlands but in borderland regions generally around the world.
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Review
"A thesis driven book backed by detailed narratives."and#8212;Wayne E. Lee, American Historical Review
Review
and#8220;[An] example of the violent peace that cultural differences and local goals can produce.and#8221;and#8212;Robert C. Galgano, The Journal of American History
Review
and#8220;This inaugural contribution to a new borderlands and transcultural series from the University of Nebraska Press provides a compelling microhistory while addressing big-picture questions about the region.and#8221;and#8212;Carla Gerona, Western Historical Quarterly
Review
"Chiricahua and Janos represents a valuable addition to the growing literature examining violence in zones of intercultural contact, both in the Americas and around the globe."and#8212;Paul Conrad, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
Review
"Built on solid archival research and making good use early on of Chiricahua oral tradition, Chiricahua and Janos adds to the growing body of United Statesand#8211;Mexico border lands studies focused on indigenous autonomy of action."and#8212;Jesand#250;s F. De La Teja, Hispanic American Historical Review
Review
"This is an intriguing and welcome addition to the literature on the conflict between Apaches, Spaniards, Mexicans, and Americans."and#8212;Robert K. Watt, Journal of Arizona History
Review
"Thoroughly researched and clearly and concisely written. . . . This book is recommended for anyone, even the more casual reader, interested in the earlier frontier history of the Greater Southwest."and#8212;Dennis Reinhartz, Terrae Incognitae
Review
and#8220;This revisionist approach is applicable to border areas around the world, as well as any place where violence is endemic.and#8221;and#8212;J. A. Stuntz, Choice
Review
and#8220;At a time when western historians have rediscovered the borderlands to great effect,
Chiricahua and Janos presents a valuable new framework for thinking about Spanish-Indian relations in the American Southwest. It is a substantial contribution to the fields of Borderlands and Native American history.and#8221;and#8212;Karl Jacoby, author of
Shadows at Dawn: A Borderlands Massacre and the Violence of Historyand#160;
Review
"Blyth's argument, as well as his narrative and use of traditional and non-traditional sources, is impressive and provides a framework for understanding the permeating role of violence in two borderlands communities."and#8212;Brandon Jett, Southwestern American Literature
Review
"MacLachlan (Tulane Univ.) and Beezley (Univ. of Arizona) provide an excellent overview of Mexico's complex, chaotic, and formative period between independence and revolution. Focusing primarily on political events, but with a fair amount of social and economic history, the authors follow the growth and contraction of the Mexican nation, providing clear, concise descriptions of the many factions and political ideas that have both united and divided it."and#8212;C.L. Sinclair, Choice
Synopsis
After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it began the work of forging its identity as an independent nation, a process that would endure throughout the crucial nineteenth century. A weakened Mexico faced American territorial ambitions and economic pressure, and the U.S.-Mexican War threatened the fledgling nationand#8217;s survival. In 1876 Porfirio Dand#237;az became president of Mexico, bringing political stability to the troubled nation. Although Dand#237;az initiated long-delayed economic development and laid the foundation of modern Mexico, his government was an oligarchy created at the expense of most Mexicans.and#160;This accessible account guides the reader through a pivotal time in Mexican history, including such critical episodes as the reign of Santa Anna, the U.S.-Mexican War, and the Porfiriato. Colin M. MacLachlan and William H. Beezley recount how the century between Mexicoand#8217;s independence and the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution had a lasting impact on the course of the nationand#8217;s history.
About the Author
Colin M. MacLachlan is the John Christie Barr Distinguished Professor of History at Tulane University. He has written numerous historical works, including Spainand#8217;s Empire in the New World: The Role of Ideas in Institutional and Social Change; Argentina: What Went Wrong; and (with William H. Beezley) Mexicans in Revolution, 1910and#8211;1946 (Nebraska 2009). William H. Beezley is a professor of history at the University of Arizona. He is the author or editor of many books, including Judas at the Jockey Club and Other Episodes of Porfirian Mexico (2nd ed.), available in a Bison Books edition, and The Oxford History of Mexico.