People of the Legends
Indigenous People of North America - Navajo
Recent History - Governments and Peace Treaties
By the 1700s, many of the American States were controlled by European governments. They sent officials and soldiers to America to keep order and carry out their decisions.
In 1775 settlers in the states controlled by England went to war with their own government to gain independence. This was the American Revolution. In 1776, thirteen States signed the Declaration of Independence.
England lost the war soon after, and the American Union government was formed.
In the early 1800s, the Spanish settlers fought against their government and founded Mexico. A few years later the American Union government fought the Spanish, took control of Mexico, and then took over most of the Southwest as well.
The American government wanted to sign peace treaties with the Navajo, but did not understand the structure of their Nation (how it worked). There were many small bands (groups), whose leaders could only sign a treaty for their own people.
Government officials thought the leaders they dealt with could speak for all Navajo, but this was not so. Bands that had not signed treaties raided (attacked) settlers and soldiers and took food, animals and other things. The settlers also raided Navajo bands.
Around this time, the Northern Union States and the Southern Confederate States went to war with each other.
This was the American Civil War.
The Northern States and the Southern Confederate States disagreed about slavery and how they saw the future of America.
The Union soldiers found it difficult to fight the Navajo and the Confederate army at the same time.
Government officials decided they needed to control the Navajo. They wanted to stop them living their traditional way of life and governing themselves.
The government called in Kit Carson to help them against the Navajo Nation.
