AZ: The History of Arizona podcast

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.

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.