Summary Of Violence Over The Land By Rand Blackhawk

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Ned Blackhawk, Violence over the Land does a great job at depicting how the Early american west was created and all of the violence that the native people endured over many years. For as long as I can remember the American west was all about shooting and gun fights due to how most people in history portray it. However Ned Blackhawk does a great job bringing many hard aspects of the Early American West to light. Blackhawk brings a unique perspective to light discussing how many different empires from the Spanish to American’s bringing hardships, death and diseases to the Indian groups living on the land hinting at the title “Violence over the Land”. He discussed how over time the native population has had a very pauperized life. This book has …show more content…

Firstly, Blackhawk discusses the rise of the Spanish nations and how it was one of the first things to effect the Native Indians from trade to needing warfare supplies like rifles and ammunition.However this did not last long as Blackhawk goes into depth about how slavery has played a very large role into their economies. This also ties into another main concept in this book and it is about how the Indians have played a major role no matter what is was in the rise and fall of each of these nations. In the text (The Last Years of the Ute-Comanche Alliance pg.45-46) Blackhawk discussed how New Mexican’s started to take native Indians as slaves. Which is the start of many major hardships they encounter over this period of time. As the book continues and the rise and fall of the Spanish nation happened the Americans come into the equation and this is generally where the “Violence over the Land” starts to take place.The first major sign of Violence in this land was one of the largest and most powerful alliances between the Utes and Comanches. Eventually this violence was a part of their society and it states in the text that the Comanches “always traveled in militarized bands, constantly prepared to defend themselves as well as to attack weaker neighbors.” Violence with these groups was eventually a part of who they are not only representing social status but honor. Over the years as time progress the spanish empire eventually fall and then the American Explores came