History I Did Not Know

I learned a lot of history this trip.

The Civil War Comes to Arizona

Fifty miles northwest of Tucson is Picacho Peak.  On April 15, 1862, a small battle between Union and Confederate soldiers took place, making it the western-most battle of the Civil War.  I won't go into detail here.  Google Battle of Picacho Pass.  It is quite interesting. Arizona, or at least most of it, was U.S. territory at that time.

How Voltaire Influenced the Southwest.

I mentioned in a previous post that both the Jesuits and Franciscans were part of the missionary efforts in the southwest.  The Jesuits had been founded by Ignatius of Loyala and the Franciscans by Francis of Assisi.  There are major differences between the two orders and a great deal of fascinating history and intrigue in both orders.

Long story short - the Jesuits started the missionary efforts in Arizona.  King Carlos III (Charles), after much deliberation, and a lot of influence from his Voltaire following advisors had the Jesuits expelled and the more docile Franciscans put in their place.  Jesuits all over the world were being expelled.  T history is facsinating.

Lewis and Clark - not the only explorers

Have you ever heard of Juan Bautista de Anza. Me neither!  However, long before Lewis and Clark, he blazed the trail from Mexico, up through parts of Arizona and into California to the Monterray area. The Russians were starting to settle in the area, and the Spanish could not have that!  While the Founding Fathers of the 13 Colonies were busy in Philadelphia, Anza was reaching his long awaited goal of reaching San Francisco.  Modern day San Jose is built upon the town of San Jose de Guadelupe, a town founded by Anza.