57 pages • 1 hour read
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
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Chapters 10-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 10 Summary: “Death’s Innocent Face”
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War, made possible the American dream of Manifest Destiny. The newly acquired lands opened up a new frontier for settlers eager to claim their fortunes. The Comanches, who had previously existed as a natural barrier between the French and Spanish, now found themselves completely surrounded by a single nation.
Texas had long been in a difficult position since its fight for independence from Mexico. It was alone and facing continuous incursions by the Mexican army; San Antonio was captured twice, and the Comanches to the west raided nearly unchecked. Eventually, the Rangers were created to fight back against the Indigenous raiders.
The Rangers were a new type of white man. They were dirty, ill-clad, aggressive, and fearless. They enjoyed killing Indigenous people. However, they were almost always outmanned. Battles followed a typical pattern:
The white men took cover, the Indians charged, men on both sides died, and the Indians finally withdrew, unwilling to take the losses it would require to pry the white men, with their fire-spitting Kentucky rifles, from their positions (137).
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