President Polk, believing in "Manifest Destiny," wanted to expand U.S. territory from coast to coast. The problem was that Native Americans owned the land which the United States considered its territory.
Colonel Kit Carson, in 1862, was living in Taos with his family when he was selected to carry out an assignment for the American government. He was ordered to move the Navajo to Bosque Redondo and to "shoot to kill" Mescalero Apache warriors.
Carson wrote a letter, resigning his position, but his superior refused to accept it. Life, thereafter, would become extremely difficult for the Navajo and for the Mescalero Apache.
See, also:
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 1
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 3
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 4
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 5
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 6
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 7
The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo - Part 8
From "The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo" (2007) - a KUED documentary, produced by John Howe and narrated by Peter Coyote. Copyright, KUED, all rights reserved. Clip provided here as fair use for educational purposes and to acquaint new viewers with the production. Clip online, courtesy PBS.
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