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Map Title: Map, No. 3, Showing Continuation of Details of Fort Smith and Santa Fe Route, from Mounds Near the 100½ Degree of W. Longitude to Tucumcari Creek Cartographer: James H. Simpson (Lt. Col.) Subject: Oklahoma & Texas, Canadian River Date: 1849 (dated) Publication: Sen. Ex. Doc. 12, 31st Congress, 1st Session Color: Hand-colored Map Size: 20.1 x 12.4 inches (51.1 x 31.5 cm) This map is the third sheet of a four-part map that outlines Lt. Simpson's route through Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle, following the Canadian River. It offers precise details on emigrant routes, trails, and campsites, with special attention to the area south of the Canadian River, which is noted as inhabited by Comanche and Kioway Indians. The scale of the map is 10 miles per inch, and it includes a table of distances from Fort Smith. The route along the Canadian River, depicted in this 1849 map, traverses areas that are now part of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. In the mid-19th century, this region was quite remote, largely undeveloped, and sparsely populated by Euro-American settlers. It was primarily inhabited by Indigenous groups like the Comanche and Kiowa, who were known for their dominance of the Southern Plains. These tribes were skilled horsemen and had a long history of resisting encroachment on their lands, which made this route potentially dangerous for emigrants and military expeditions. Travelers on this trail faced numerous risks, including the threat of attack by Native American groups, particularly during periods of tension or conflict. The harsh landscape itself presented challenges: the dry, open plains of the Llano Estacado ("Staked Plain") had little water and few landmarks, making navigation difficult and survival precarious. Additionally, emigrants risked encountering severe weather, including storms and extreme heat, as well as wildlife hazards. Today, much of this area is part of modern Oklahoma and Texas, with places like Amarillo, Texas, and parts of the Oklahoma Panhandle covering the region once crossed by Simpson's route. The Llano Estacado still exists as a vast plateau, and the Canadian River continues to run through portions of these states, though the area is far more settled and developed than it was in the 19th century. Towns like Tucumcari, New Mexico, which is mentioned in the map, still exist as small communities today. As for the Indigenous tribes mentioned in the map?Comanche and Kiowa?both were eventually forced to leave their traditional lands due to U.S. military campaigns and government policies. By the late 19th century, after enduring the Texas-Indian Wars and other conflicts, the Comanche were relocated to reservations in Oklahoma, specifically to the area around Fort Sill. The Kiowa also faced similar pressures and were moved to reservations in western Oklahoma, where they share lands with the Comanche and Apache. The forced relocation, part of the broader pattern of Indian Removal, drastically altered the lives of these tribes, curtailing their nomadic ways and confining them to smaller territories.
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