“ SANTE FE & THE TRAIL ” 1965 EDUCATIONAL FILM PIONEER WAGON TRAINS USA WESTERN EXPANSION 22454

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This film focuses on the Santa Fe Trail; a 19th century route through central North America which connected Missouri and Santa Fe. A span of the area along this route opens the film which Native American tribes had inhabited in 1830 (:19). A herd of Buffalo grazes through the pasture and Native Americans had hunted them for their hides and their meat (:25). A character named Jessup Greg steers a wagon as he was making his third trip across the plane with his brother Adam (:44) to sell goods in Santa Fe. A map follows depicting the United States and Mexican territories in 1830 showing that Santa Fe at the time was still Mexican territory (:59). The Santa Fe trail began at Independence on the Missouri River (1:11) and the wagon route is zoomed in on which spanned 800 miles. Along the trail, there were few landmarks (2:20) or water sources and Native American tribes could be hostile (2:35). Jessup’s wagon gets stuck in a river while attempting to cross. Pockets of quicksand could cost the caravan horses and supplies (2:52). The Mexican flag flies in Santa Fe; (3:19) an isolated outpost in 1830. Santa Fe was founded by Spanish explorers and missionaries in 1610 (3:24). The area was controlled by the Royal Government in Madrid (3:30) while under Spanish rule and while under Mexican rule it was still considerable distance from the capitol of Mexico City (3:35). Characters Diego Montoya, his father and grandfather are introduced (3:52). His father is an Alcalde; a Mexican judge, and he asks the boy to bring his staff of justice (4:25) to Don Luis who was being summoned to the Alcalde. As Diego heads to fetch the man, he stops upon seeing the arrival of Jessup’s caravan and promptly turns to inform his father (5:23). As Adam pulls Diego inside of the wagon to show him their supplies of soap and cloth (7:51) Jessup heads to pay a tax on the goods with Diego’s father. The Mexican government issued a tax on any goods entering their country and the Americans were able to do whatever they pleased with it after the tax was paid (8:24). Some took their goods farther south, others sold them in wholesale in Santa Fe and some like Jessup set up shops to sell the goods as retail (8:47). Jessup bargains with a man on price for the cloth (9:21) and Diego grabs Adam to watch a traditional Pueblo Indian dance (10:04). The early Spanish priests had attempted to convert the Pueblo Indians to Christianity forbidding them to conduct these ritual dances however many continued to do so in spite of this (10:38). Around the dinner table, Diego’s father tells Jessup the Pueblo Indians had revolted against the Spanish in 1680, sending many of them into retreat until de Vargas returned to the area in 1692 (10:55). Much of the family’s goods had come from Mexico, though the trade was difficult as it was very far (12:02) and Jessup informs them that more and more US goods were to be travelling through to the area. The house set up resembles that of a fortress as the Montoya’s lived far from civilization (13:11). In autumn, fur trappers moved down from the mountains to sell to the Santa Fe traders (13:24). One is seen leading a mule covered with furs and Mexican silver (13:36) which he takes to Jessup to be sold (14:16). A dancing scene ensues at night with participants conducting the lively fandango (15:20). The caravan prepares to head back to Missouri (16:55) though Jessup and Adam would continue to return the following summers (17:49) and eventually remain as merchants in Santa Fe. Diego was to eventually become an Official of the American Government in Santa Fe when it was incorporated into the US territory (17:56). Credits follow (18:20) and the film concludes.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com