| After the Mexican War, as Americans began occupying Arizona and New Mexico, hostilities erupted between the incoming settlers and the native groups of the region, notably the Apache Indians. Although most Apache sub-tribes were subdued and moved onto reservations without undue difficulty, the Chiricahua, in the region where Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico come together, resisted fiercely. They were more than a match for the United States Army for decades, and eventually became the last Indians in the United States to be subdued. This study will focus on the key factors in this subjugation of the Chiricahua, specifically the role that technology played. Results will be presented in seven chapters---(1) Introduction, (2) Origins of the Conflict, (3) Weapons and Technology of the Chiricahua and the United States Military, (4) Tactics and Strategy of the Apache Wars, (5) Limitations of American Technology, (6) Strategies that Worked, and (7) Conclusions. |
