History ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-13-2023

Abstract

This dissertation studies various incidents of violence throughout the Southwest from 1848-1919, often called “great excitement,” revealing a “Western Civil War of Incorporation.” US incorporation designated whether people would be included or excluded from the American body politic. Violence in the Southwest between the mid-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries exposes deep change fueled by a relentless US drive to swallow and digest its people and resources, profiting handsomely in the process. Each chapter is a case study, culminating in a conclusion that ties them together to gain a greater understanding of American violence. They are the 1858 San Luis Obispo vigilantes, 1863 Espinosa rampage, 1871 Mesilla election riot, 1878-81 Lincoln County War, 1894-1919 southern Nevada “renegade” Paiutes, and 1918 Battle of Ambos Nogales. A pattern of transformation wrought by incorporation ultimately caused this violence, showing that societal violence is often a consequence of significant changes within society.

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Degree Name

History

Department Name

History

First Committee Member (Chair)

Durwood Ball

Second Committee Member

Samuel Truett

Third Committee Member

LM Garcia y Griego

Fourth Committee Member

Daniel Herman

Language

English

Keywords

southwest, violence, american, west, borderlands, frontier

Document Type

Dissertation

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