AZ: The History of Arizona podcast

One was ready to fight the Indians, one was ready to settle down, and one didn’t really have a clue.

In 1871, a band of Apache decided to (mostly) settle and farm in peace. Unfortunately, it proved to be the right move, but at the wrong time and the wrong place.

Cochise the Great and Terrible shocked everyone by proposing peace - and actually meaning it. If only the U.S. government had just played it cool.

Few stories in all of Arizona history are as tragic as that of the Pennington family.

In which we explore the life, times, and legacies of five prominent Arizonans.

To wrap up the 1860s, we watch as the walls start closing in on Cochise.

Tucson becomes Arizona’s capitol, and it’s finally time to talk about the founding of Phoenix. For that we need to revisit the ex-Confederate who founded it, and introduce the eccentric Englishman who named it.

In 1866, a brutal conflict between American settlers and Amerindians would break out. Believe it or not, this conflict would not involve the Apache. But that didn’t make the short Hualapai War any less bloody.

Political offices change hands, Arizona clashes with other states over territory, and Charles Poston sets out on the path to his grave on top that hill north of Florence.

With the Civil War over, it’s time to see what life on the frontier was really like. Turns out it was full of desperadoes, 19th century racism, Amerindian tribes both friendly and hostile, and even the Spirit of Christmas?

Arizona organizes native companies to take the fight to the Apache … too bad they were unpaid, under-supplied, and only existed for a year. Otherwise, they may have done something about that wily fox, Cochise.

We finally bring the Civil War in Arizona, while also looking at French trouble south of the border and the, uh, exploits of Indian figure King S. Woolsey.

Arizona’s first territorial legislature was busy, tackling issues such as Indian affairs, counties, education, transportation and the thorniest issue of all - divorce.

Due to a family emergency, there will be no new episode for Sunday, March 21, 2021.

The life and times of the lawyer, orator, politician, serial liar and woman-chaser who named Arizona.

Though a soldier’s life in 19th century Arizona was no walk in the park, the Confederates would have been more than happy to take the territory back.

In which we learn the correct way to pronounce “Prescott.”

It’s Arizona’s birthday! And the podcast’s anniversary! So let’s sit down and answer a few questions about both.

The U.S. Army and the Apache could just not get along.

In 1863 General Carleton ordered Kit Carson to bring the hammer down on the Navajo - hard

An episode full of gold-filled water and Goldwaters.

Behind-the-scenes wheelings and dealings, plus lobbying from our old friend, Charles D. Poston, made 1863 the year Arizona became a U.S. territory.

General Carleton finally makes it to New Mexico. But with no Confederates left to fight, he turned his sights toward the other great enemy of the U.S. Army - the Apaches.

What happens when you mix the rough-and-tumble frontier with an uptight, moralizing Army general?

The California Column rides into an unfortified Tucson, while Confederate forces pull back from all of Arizona and New Mexico. But, we do have a parting gift for the retreating rebels - harassment by Cochise and the Apache.

Even as the Confederates celebrated their victories in the Southwest, a force was gathering in California to oppose them. And this would lead to a battle in Arizona at the base of Picacho Peak.

Turns out February 1862 was a banner month for the Confederacy in the Southwest, including the official declaration of their new Territory of Arizona.

In 1861, Arizona found itself between a rebel invasion on one hand and relentless Apache attacks on the other.

The Bascom Affair reaches its bloody conclusion. Turns out that killing your hostages is not good strategy.

In which a kidnapped boy set a young, inexperienced U.S. Army officer on a collision course with the fearsome Cochise. Spoiler - things are not going to go well.

In the first of three episodes about the Bascom Affair we introduce two key players - Cochise and Mangas Coloradas. With one being a well documented hot-head and the other being nicknamed because his sleeves were literally stained with the blood of his enemies, what could go wrong?

In which we finally unmask those great raiding boogeymen of the desert, the Apache.

In the late 1850s the future Arizona only wanted one thing: to become a real U.S. territory

So who is Hi Jolly and why does he have a fancy grave marker in Quartzsite? And what’s with the camel?

Mining brought all sorts to Arizona. But if you read the recollections of businessman Charles Poston, you would have thought they had come to paradise instead.

Filibuster is a political term today, but in the 1850s it meant a group of men who were either visionary entrepreneurs or no good land pirates - depending on whether you were an American or Mexican.

After more than 80 years of struggle and turmoil, it’s time for Tucson to say farewell to Mexico.

In which we thank the U.S.’s increasingly divisive regional politics and our old friend, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, for securing Tucson, Tubac and Tumacácori as part of Arizona.

The international boundary survey commission discovered in 1850 that neither the United States nor Mexico really had a clue about where El Paso was.

The Americans suddenly had a lot of new territory on their hands. But they would soon find out the same thing as the Mexicans and the Spanish before them - there was a whole lot of rugged terrain and hostile natives out there.

It's Round 2 of the struggle to control the vital Colorado River crossing. In one corner we have the reigning champions, the Quechens. Their challenger? The scrappy newcomers, the Americans. Also, Tucson will finally make peace with its perennial foe, the Apaches ... for like five minutes.

The discovery of gold in California converts Tucson from obscure frontier town to important cross-country stop. Too bad the Americans couldn’t really appreciate it.

Mexico once again puts its trust in Santa Anna, but in the end will find that half the country now belongs to their aggressive north neighbor. The only kicker is no one really knew much about what they had just given away.

War with Mexico has been declared, and with the conflict will come the first real advance of Americans into Arizona, including the longest infantry march in U.S. military history.

In which we bring everyone up to the brink of the Mexican-American War.

Revolting Papagos and Yaquis, continual back-and-forth over the Sonoran governorship, and fighting the Apaches without any supplies … yep, the last few years of Mexican Arizona would not be a fun ride.

Tensions were tightening all around the Pimería Alta in the late 1830s. And political turmoil on both the local and nation level did nothing to help Arizona, where soldiers were selling weapons to buy food.

In the early 1830s, Tucson and Tubac learned that when no one has any supplies, it makes it incredibly hard to protect yourself.

The Beatles were right, life does go on … that is until your supplies dwindle, Apaches begin raiding more extensively and your land is invaded by beaver-hunting Americans.

Political instability, economic woes, collapsing societal structures, Apache raids, an aggressive neighbor … post-independence Mexico has it all. And that can’t be good for Arizona.