The experiment was doomed to failure from the beginning. General Carleton’s illusion that the Bosque Redondo would spawn a farming community of thriving transplanted Native American prisoners was disastrous.General Carleton was a strict taskmaster however, and although the Native American prisoners were sick, ill-fed and unfit for heavy manual farm labor, and fields were improperly irrigated, he nearly realized his dream of a bountiful harvest. By mid-summer 1863 the corn alone was expected to yield twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre, a minimum of 75,000 bushels. Considering the extraordinary handicaps under which the Indians worked, this was an astonishing accomplishment. <span>When it seemed Carleton would realize his dreams, nature dealt a lethal blow. The reservation’s 3,000 acres of planted agricultural land was struck by an inch-long cut worm, or “army worm”, that destroyed the crops. The following year, another promising crop was again insect-infested and destroyed. Demoralized, the Indians would refuse to plant again.</span>
General Carleton underestimated size of Navajo nation, so the Bosque Redondo location proved to be an economic failure because there was a complete dependence on the army for all needs. Federal Indian Agents were unhappy with Carleton’s failed plan because the tribe was not subdued and there were now thousands of paupers being kept and fed by the government. With insufficient food, water, and space, many Navajo died as a result of overcrowding, disease, hunger, and cold.
Explanation: How Do We Know?: An Introduction to Epistemology is a book, a guide to philosophy, a way to help critical thinking and make children question more.
