Editing Jicarilla Apache (section)

====Background====
By the mid-1800s, tensions between the [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spanish]], multiple [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] nations, and [[westward expansion|westward expanding]] [[Americans|United States]] settlers erupted as all sought and laid claim to land in the southwest. Diseases to which Native Americans had no [[Immunity (medical)|immunity]] "decimated" their tribes, creating greater pressure for their lands to be taken from them. As tensions among Native Americans grew and with numerous attempts to relocate them from their traditional hunting and gathering land and sacred homelands, the Jicarilla became increasingly hostile in their efforts to protect their lands.<ref name=NPS>Oliva.</ref> The United States military developed a [[Defense (military)|defense system]] of [[forts]] and troops to restrict attacks on westward travelers. Fort Union was established, in part, to provide protection from the Jicarillas. The disruption and "mutual incomprehensions" of one another's culture led to warfare among the Spanish, Native American nations, and Americans.<ref name=NPS>Oliva.</ref>

Leo E. Oliva, author of ''Fort Union and the Frontier Army in the Southwest'', notes that: "The three cultural groups in the Southwest had different concepts of family life, personal values, social relations, religion, uses and ownership of land and other property, how best to obtain the provisions of life, and warfare."<ref name=NPS/>

Fort Union was established by Colonel [[Edwin Vose Sumner]], who ordered Major [[James Henry Carleton]]'s Company K 1st [[Dragoon]]s on August 2, 1851, to protect westward travelers between [[Missouri]] and [[New Mexico Territory]] on the [[Santa Fe Trail]].<ref name=NPS/> [[List of Governors of New Mexico|New Mexico Territory]]'s Governor [[William Carr Lane]] made treaties with the Jicarilla and other Native American tribes of New Mexico to relocate them to reservations where they would peacefully take up agriculture on new lands. Both parties agreed to payments to compensate the Native Americans for their loss of access to hunting, gathering, and sacred homeland. The U.S. government, however, pulled the funding for this agreement, betraying the Native American tribal members. Further complicating the situation, all the crops planted by the tribal members failed and the people continued raiding for survival.<ref name=NPS/>