Sam Gwynne, author of Empire of the Summer Moon, delves into the captivating history of the Comanche tribe, once the dominant force across the southern plains. He reveals how their mastery of horses transformed them from nomadic hunters to a fearsome warrior culture. The discussion highlights the parallels between Comanche warriors and ancient Spartans, their unique warfare tactics, and the significant events leading to their decline, such as the kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker and the rise of her son, Quanah Parker, a pivotal figure in Comanche history.
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Comanche Origins and the Horse
The Comanches, originally a Shoshone tribe from Wyoming, were not a powerful tribe.
Their acquisition of horses from the Spanish in the 17th century dramatically changed their culture and propelled their rise to dominance.
insights INSIGHT
Shift to Warrior Culture
Horses transformed Comanche hunting.
Their conflicts with other tribes, especially the Apaches, shifted their culture from hunting to a warrior-centric society.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Comanche Warrior Training
Like Spartans, young Comanche boys began warrior training as young as three years old.
Horsemanship was paramount, developing incredible riding and archery skills from horseback.
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Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
S.C. Gwynne
This book spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, who were the most powerful Indian tribe in American history, known for their exceptional horsemanship and warfare skills. The second story follows the remarkable narrative of Cynthia Ann Parker, a pioneer woman kidnapped by the Comanches in 1836, and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches. The book covers a sweeping narrative that includes Spanish colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the arrival of the railroads, providing a historical feast for anyone interested in the development of the United States.
For nearly 400 years, the Comanche tribe controlled the southern plains of America. Even as Europeans arrived on the scene with guns and metal armor, the Comanches held them off with nothing but horses, arrows, lances, and buffalo hide shields. In the 18th century, the Comanches stopped the Spanish from driving north from Mexico and halted French expansion westward from Louisiana. In the 19th century, they stymied the development of the new country by engaging in a 40-year war with the Texas Rangers and the U.S. military. It wasn't until the latter part of that century that the Comanches finally laid down their arms.
How did they create a resistance so fierce and long lasting?
My guest today explores that question in his book Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History. His name is Sam Gwynne, and we begin our discussion by explaining where the Comanches were from originally and how their introduction to the horse radically changed their culture and kickstarted their precipitous rise to power. Sam then explains how the Comanches shifted from a hunting culture to a warrior culture and how their warrior culture was very similar to that of the ancient Spartans. We then discuss the event that began the decline of the Comanches: the kidnapping of a Texan girl named Cynthia Ann Parker. Sam explains how she went on to become the mother of the last great war chief of the Comanches, Quanah, why Quanah ultimately decided to surrender to the military, and the interesting path his life took afterward.
This is a fascinating story about an oft-overlooked part of American history. Get the show notes at aom.is/comanches.
The Art of Manliness 