Native American Wars: The Apache

For centuries, the North American Apache tribes enjoyed remarkable success on the battlefield—overpowering opponents who were wealthier, better armed, and more organized. This revelatory program explores two of the key battles that took place during the Apache wars of the 1800s to uncover the secrets of the tribe’s success and the reasons behind its ultimate defeat. Watch as archaeologists and forensic scientists investigate and compare the weapons used by the Apache tribes and their final enemy—the U.S. Army. Follow geologist Peter Doyle as he examines how the Apache used the landscape to help defeat outsiders. And, at the sites of the Battle of Cieneguilla (1854) and Hembrillo (1880), remote locations in New Mexico, uncover tantalizing clues that help solve the mystery of how the Army came to overpower these cunning and determined fighters.

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