1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy V. Wilson and I'm Holly Frying. At this point, 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: I think most of our listeners have probably heard that 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: we launched a new podcast in July I called This 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: Day in History Class. One of the side effects of 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: starting a show that is daily and talks about something 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: that happened on that day in history is that as 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: you're figuring out what to talk about, you find episodes 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: that are also going to be good on stuff you 11 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: missed in history class. And that's how today's episode came 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: to be. August is the anniversary of the Battle of 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 1: Ambos no Galis, and that was an international incident at 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: the US Mexico border in Arizona on the United States 15 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: side and in Sonora on the Mexican side. So now 16 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: you know what I'm going to talk about on the 17 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: August seven episode of This Day in History Class, but 18 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: we are going to cover it in way more detail 19 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: here because that show is only five minutes long. Also, 20 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: I know we have lots of teachers listening with their 21 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: students and parents listening with maybe younger kids. There is 22 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: one bit of strong language that comes up in this 23 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: episode and some quoted material. I don't really consider it 24 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: to be a swear, but I know other people would 25 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: have the opposite opinion, like maybe my mom so yeah, 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: like we spelled out the word but beaut t when 27 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,479 Speaker 1: we were children, because yeah, so, uh, if you think 28 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: that might apply to you, maybe give this one an 29 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,839 Speaker 1: advanced listen to just make sure that that one particular 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: thing is not going to be an issue. But it 31 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: is not the word, but to be clear, it is not. 32 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: But so we walked through some very basic history of 33 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: the American Southwest recently when we talked about the zoot 34 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: suit riots. But we know not everyone listens to every episode, 35 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: so we're going to give you a quick recap. After 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: Europeans arrived in North America, what is now the southwestern 37 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: United States was claimed by Spain. New Spain declared its 38 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: independence in eighteen ten, which kicked off a war that 39 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: lasted until eighteen twenty one. The war ended when Spain 40 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: finally recognized Mexico as an independent nation. The Mexican State 41 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: of Sonora was formally established in eighteen twenty four. Then 42 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: the Mexican American War began in eighteen forty six, and 43 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: it ended in eighteen forty eight. After that, Mexico seated 44 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: a large stretch of land to the United States. This 45 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: included a lot of what would become the Southwestern States, 46 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: but it did not include the southernmost parts of Arizona 47 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: or New Mexico. The United States bought that territory in 48 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: the Glaston Purchase, which was finalized in eighteen fifty four, 49 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: and Arizona became a state in nineteen twelve. Obviously a 50 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: super quick recap that is, hundreds of years of history 51 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: in two paragraphs and not even including anything about the 52 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: indigenous people who were already living there. So two cities, 53 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: both named No Galis, were established, one on each side 54 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: of the border after the Glaston Purchase, but before Arizona's statehood. 55 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: The name no Galis is derived from the Spanish word 56 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 1: for walnut, and collectively the two cities are called Ambos 57 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: no Galas or both no Galis. These cities were established 58 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: after a railroad was planned that would connect Mexico and 59 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: the United States, running from Tucson almost due south to 60 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: Guaymas on the Gulf of California. On the US side, 61 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: Jacob and Isaac Isaacson established a trading post at the 62 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: border along the proposed train route in eighteen eighty. At 63 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: first they called it Isaacson, but they changed the name 64 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: to No Galis on June four, eighteen eighty three. On 65 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: the Mexican side, the Mexican government authorized the establishment of 66 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: a customs office at the border along the same train 67 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: route on August two of eighteen eighty That train line 68 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: was finished in eighteen eighty two. Soon Ambos No Galis 69 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: was the most important border crossing between Arizona and Sonora. 70 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: Its population grew quickly, and by the late nineteen teens 71 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: there were nearly four thousand people living on the Sonora 72 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: sign and a little more than five thousand people living 73 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: in Arizona. These two cities were divided only by a 74 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: broad boulevard that was called International Street. There were only 75 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: two visible signs that International Street was really an international border. 76 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: One was boundary monument one. This was an obelisk. It 77 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: still stands today. It marks the exact position of the border, 78 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 1: and that replaced an earlier marker that had fallen apart 79 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: in eightee. The other clue was this wide expanse of 80 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: empty territory on either side of the line. Mexico had 81 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: built No Galis, Sonora with buildings that were at least 82 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: fifty feet or fifteen meters away from the border. Buildings 83 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: in No Galis, Arizona were initially built a lot closer, 84 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: but in the eighteen nineties, by presidential proclamation, everything that 85 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,239 Speaker 1: was within sixty ft or eighteen meters of the line 86 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: was torn down. This was an attempt to herbs smuggling, basically, 87 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: with the idea that without a bunch of buildings to 88 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: hide in between, it would be harder to smuggle. Did 89 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: not actually do much to deter smuggling. For the first 90 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: decades of the city's histories, it was really easy to 91 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: cross from one No Galas to another. You just walked 92 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: across the street. That wide expanse of empty land was 93 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: also a popular place for both Mexican and American children 94 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: to play. Even though these were two cities, one in 95 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: the US and the other in Mexico, they functioned more 96 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: like one binational community that happened to straddle in international border. 97 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: Citizens of one country often had families, jobs, or property 98 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: on the other. This pretty much open border in Ambosno 99 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: Galis became increasingly guarded starting around nineteen ten at the 100 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: beginning of the Mexican Revolution. The Mexican Revolution was a 101 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 1: long and extremely complicated conflict that involved numerous revolutionary factions. 102 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: It led to millions of deaths. Violence associated with the 103 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: revolution also threat the American cities all along the border 104 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: with Mexico, including No Galas Arizona. Mexican border cities like 105 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: No Galas Sonora also became particularly important during the revolution 106 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: because controlling them made it easier for revolutionaries to cross 107 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: into the United States to purchase weapons and supplies. In 108 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: nineteen thirteen, constitutionalist forces lay siege to No Galas Sonora, 109 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: which meant that the Mexican Revolution was being fought literally 110 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: across the street from an American city. After several days 111 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: of fighting, in which several American soldiers and civilians were 112 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 1: wounded by stray gunfire, the federal forces in No Galas 113 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: Sonora crossed the border and surrendered to the Americans. The 114 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: violence continued in the area into nineteen fifteen during Pancho 115 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: Villa's campaign in northern Mexico, and this led to troops 116 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: from the United States Army being deployed all over the 117 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: border to try to protect Americans against the possible spillover 118 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: of violence from Mexico. During VIA's campaign, the governor of 119 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: Sonora also put up a barbed wire fence through No 120 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: Gallets to act as a deterrent, but that was taken 121 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,239 Speaker 1: down after just a few months. Although Poncho Villa's men 122 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: didn't ultimately invade No Galles Arizona, there was a lot 123 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: of tension between Mexicans and Americans as his campaign was 124 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: going on. There were understandable fears and frustrations stemming from 125 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: being right across the border from an ongoing revolution for 126 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: five solid years, but these tensions were also fueled by racism. 127 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: Dis erupted into a riot in August of nineteen fifteen 128 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: when a white mob in Arizona tried to force Mexicans 129 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: across the border into Sonora, and then on March nine, 130 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: nine sixteen, Ponchovia attacked Columbus New Mexico. Although Ambos No 131 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: Galis wasn't directly involved in this, the attack nearly took 132 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: the United States and Mexico to war, and it made 133 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: things even more tense and numerous American cities near the border. 134 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: This was one of the factors and the Bisbee deportation, 135 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: which we talked about earlier this year. After the attack 136 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: on Columbus, the United States mounted what was known as 137 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: the Punitive Expedition to try to hunt down Poncho Villa. 138 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: The National Guard units were sent to cities all over 139 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: the border, including no Gallas, to guard them from potential attack. Meanwhile, 140 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: World War One started in nineteen fourteen, and in early 141 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: nineteen seventeen, a telegram from German Foreign Secretary Arthur's Zimmerman 142 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: was intercepted and decoded. In this telegram, Germany pledged to 143 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: return Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to Mexico. Mexico joined 144 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: the war and fought against the United States. So after 145 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: nearly a decade of ongoing threats stemming from the Mexican Revolution, 146 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: Americans were now also afraid that Mexico was going to 147 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: go from being neutral in the war to actively fighting 148 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: against the United States, even though the fact that there 149 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: was still a revolution going on and it had been 150 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: going on for years made that pretty unlikely. The Zimmerman 151 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: Telegram was a major factor in the United States decision 152 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: to finally enter World War One in April of nineteen seventeen, 153 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: and when that happened, the National Guard troops that had 154 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: been stationed along the US Mexico border were called up 155 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: to federal service, replacing them in No Galis, where the U. S. 156 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 1: Army's thirty fifth Infantry and tenth Cavalry regiments. The tenth 157 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: Cavalry was an all black unit under the command of 158 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: white officers and was better known as part of the 159 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: Buffalo Soldiers. As in other cities on the border. A 160 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: rifle club was also established in No Galis, which was 161 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: meant to act as a civilian fighting force if one 162 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: was needed. On January eighteenth, nineteen eighteen, a German agent 163 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: named Lothar Vitzka was apprehended and No Galis, Sonora. He 164 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: had an encrypted letter on his person that was addressed 165 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: the German ambassador in Mexico City. It read, in part quote, 166 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: strictly secret. The bearer of this is a subject of 167 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: the German Empire who travels as a Russian under the 168 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: name of Pablo Vabersky. He is a German great agent. 169 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: Please furnish him on request protection and assistance. Also advanced 170 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: him on demand up to one thousand paceos of Mexican 171 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: gold and send his code telegrams to this embassy as 172 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: official consular dispatches. It was signed von Eckhart. That was 173 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: Einrig von Eckhart, German foreign minister who was also the 174 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: recipient of the Zimmerman Telegram. Vitzka has tried in August 175 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: of nineteen eighteen and sentenced to death. His sentence was 176 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: commuted to life in prison after the end of the war, 177 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: and he was later pardoned. All of this led to 178 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,199 Speaker 1: increasingly higher border security in No Galles, which we will 179 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: talk about after a quick sponsor break. Starting in the 180 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: summer of nineteen eighteen, authorities, especially American authorities, started putting 181 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,199 Speaker 1: a lot heavier restrictions on what could happen at the 182 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: Ambost No Galles border. For example, suddenly there were a 183 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: lot of new rules about how much and what kind 184 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: of food people could take from the United States into Mexico. 185 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: In the summer of nineteen eighteen, authorities in the US 186 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: threatens to close the border entirely if authorities in Mexico 187 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: didn't put an end to what was described as food running, 188 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: and the border itself became more controlled. No longer was 189 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: it a situation where you could simply cross the street 190 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: or where children could play across the borderline. Two official 191 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:31,319 Speaker 1: crossing points were established. When residents on both sides balked 192 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: at suddenly having only two places to cross when they 193 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: had previously been completely free to come and go now 194 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: Gallus Sonora mayor Felix beat Paniloza ordered a barbed wire 195 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: fence to be placed along the Mexican side. This was 196 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: a gesture of goodwill on the mayor's part. He framed 197 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: it as a way to make it easier for American 198 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: border agents to do their jobs. He suggested to his 199 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: counterparts in Arizona that they do the same on their 200 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: side of the border to contribute to the overall security. 201 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,079 Speaker 1: In August of nineteen eighteen, the U. S. State Department 202 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: started restricting how Mexicans could enter the United States through 203 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: no galles. Mexican laborers with a passport were allowed two 204 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: entries per day. That was it. Non workers were allowed 205 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: only one entry per week. People really bristled at this idea, 206 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: especially Mexican workers who had jobs in Arizona and people 207 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: who had families on the other side of the line. 208 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: There was also an immediate economic impact on businessmen in 209 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: Arizona who relied on customers from Sonora and vice versa. 210 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,719 Speaker 1: I mean when your town had been pretty much an 211 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: entire international community where you came and went freely, people 212 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: were economically really connected to each other. Duties collected at 213 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: the customs houses were also a major source of revenue, 214 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: particularly in Sonora, and that was greatly affected by the 215 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: reduction in traffic across the border as well. And as 216 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: tensions continued to escalate, Mexicans reported increasing incidents of mistreatment 217 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: at the hands of US border officials. It was everything 218 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: from just general rudeness to physically being shoved out of 219 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: border agents offices. It was enough for Mexican console Jose 220 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: Garza Zertucci to write up a report to the Mexican 221 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: Secretariat of Foreign Affairs detailing a range of insults and injustices. 222 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: But in August eighteen, a Mexican carpenter named ze Farino 223 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: gil La Madrid was returning home after doing a job 224 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: in Arizona. He was a well known person in Ambo 225 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: SnO Galis, and he was carrying a bulky package. He 226 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: had already stepped onto the Mexican side of the border 227 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 1: when a US customs agent named Arthur Barber told him 228 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 1: to turn around and come back and have that package inspected. 229 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: Guards on the Mexican side of the crossing told gil 230 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: La Madrid to ignore Barber. He was already in Mexico 231 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: and he did not need to turn around. Gil La 232 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,199 Speaker 1: Madrid was not sure what to do, and he froze, 233 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: and then Private William Clint from the US thirty five 234 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: Infantry pointed his rifle at gil Le Madrid to encourage 235 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: him to come back to the U S side and 236 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: have the package inspected. Somebody, it is not clear if 237 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 1: it was Glint or someone else, fired a shot. Gil 238 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: Le Madrid dropped to the ground. Apart from it being 239 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: totally reasonable to hit the deck when you hear a 240 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: gunshot in your vicinity while somebody had been pointing a 241 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: weapon at you, at least two Mexicans had also been 242 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: shot and killed at the border in No Galus while 243 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: trying to cross over the prior twelve months. The guards 244 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: on the Mexican side of the border believed that gil 245 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: Le Madrid had been killed. In response, one guard named 246 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: Francisco Gallegos shot at the Americans, hitting Clint in the 247 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: face and wounding him. Agent Barber returned fire, killing both 248 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: Gallegos and another Mexican guard. At that point, Gila Madrid 249 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: got up and ran. There was a Mexican Federal Army 250 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: garrison nearby, but most of the men stationed there were 251 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: away from the area fighting rebels when this happened, So 252 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: make sean civilians went home and grabbed their personal rifles 253 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: and began trying to defend No Galis Sonora from the U. S. Army. 254 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: Most of them took up sniper positions in homes and 255 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: on roofs. In the words of Captain Roy V. Morlage 256 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: of the tenth Cavalry quote, I told the men to 257 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 1: follow me, not far along before we got a lot 258 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: of fire. There was so much it was hard to 259 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: tell where it was coming from. Also, it seemed as 260 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: though everybody in No Galis was shooting from the windows 261 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: towards the border. It became a massive gun battle. It 262 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: was mainly between the U. S. Army troops and Mexican 263 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: civilian snipers, although that civilian rifle club that had been 264 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: established in No Galas, Arizona was also involved. Eventually, the 265 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: thirty five Infantry also set up and employed a machine 266 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,239 Speaker 1: gun from a hill on the Arizona side. Mayor Penieloza 267 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: was in a meeting and No Galis Sonora City Hall. 268 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: When all of this started, he tied a handkerchief to 269 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: his cane as an improvised white flag, and he went 270 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: out into the street to try to stop the gunfire. 271 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: He waved his flag and he begged the civilians on 272 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: the Mexican side to stop shooting. He was shot from 273 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: the Arizona side, although it is not clear by whom, 274 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: and he died within the hour. The mayor's death made 275 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: the residence of Nogalis, Sonora even angrier. They already felt 276 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: like they'd been facing months of mistreatment and abuse from 277 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: overbearing American border agents, and now they were being shot 278 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: at and their mayor was dead. More civilians became involved 279 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: in the fighting, and women on the Sonora side painted 280 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: red crosses on sheets and tried to establish a field 281 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: hospital Jose Garza's Artucci got in touch with the Lieutenant 282 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: Colonel Frederick J. Herman of the tenth Cavalry, who was 283 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: the acting subdistrict commander. Zertucci proposed that both sides raise 284 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: a white flag and mutually agree to stop shooting. Herman 285 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: told Zertucci to go to hell, saying later quote, American 286 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: troops don't carry white flags and don't use them. Later, 287 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: Herman would confirmed to a Senate committee that he had 288 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: told the Mexican consul to go to Hell. It's not 289 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: a very diplomatic response to that request. And Hermann told 290 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: their two too that if no galis Soonora didn't raise 291 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,479 Speaker 1: their white flag in the next ten minutes, that the U. 292 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: S Army was going to go across the border and 293 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: burn the whole city down. Acting Mayor Hays's Palma, who 294 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: had assumed that role after the death of Mayor Paniloza, 295 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 1: ordered a white flag to be raised over the No 296 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: Galison or a customs house at about seven forty five pm, 297 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: although some scattered gunfire continued after it was raised. The 298 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,159 Speaker 1: official report on this from the Mexican Army listed the 299 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: Mexican death toll at fifteen, twelve of them civilians. The 300 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: civilians included at least two children and a woman who 301 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: was hanging up her wash when she was shot. Also 302 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: killed on the Mexican side were one soldier and two guards. 303 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: Reports on the American side listed seven dead, two officers, 304 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: three enlisted men, and two civilians, but the US authorities 305 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 1: estimated that the death toll and Sonora was actually much 306 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: higher than the initial report, with more than one people 307 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 1: killed and there were many injuries on both sides. When 308 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: the U. S. War Department heard what happened, they contacted 309 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 1: Brigadier General de Rosie Cable at nearby Fort Fuachuca to investigate. 310 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 1: Mexican President Venustanio Coranza ordered the Sonoraan governor, Plutarco Ellis 311 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: Caius to investigate as well. The border was closed for 312 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: almost twenty four hours, and civilians in No Galis, Sonora 313 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: were ordered to turn in their weapons, although not all 314 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:38,160 Speaker 1: of them did. Kaba and Kaya's met along with interpreters 315 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: on August. Unlike the phone call between Zertucci and Herman, 316 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: this seems to have been an overall positive and productive meeting. 317 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: Both sides expressed regret for what had happened the day 318 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: before and genuinely wanted to prevent any further violence. But 319 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: that night, Private Edward Stiller was on guard near the 320 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: infantries machine gun. He and everybody else that was stationed 321 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: there had been ordered not to respond to any shots 322 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: from the Mexican side, but when somebody fired a shot 323 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: from Nogilas, Sonora, the soldiers manning the machine gun returned fire. 324 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: More shots were fired and Stiller was hit in the 325 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,719 Speaker 1: leg and wounded. After he learned about this incident, Cobbal 326 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,640 Speaker 1: warned Kaias that if shots continued to be fired from 327 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 1: the Mexican side, the army would have to cross the 328 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: border to pursue the culprits. But the next day, August 329 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: twenty nine, Private Stiller left the hospital, walked back to 330 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: the hill where the machine gun was stationed, and started 331 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: firing his gun across the line into Mexico. He hit 332 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 1: and wounded a Mexican soldier who was standing guard, and 333 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: Cobble had him arrested. During the earlier meeting between Cobble 334 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: and Caius, couple had asked Caius to stop this gunfire 335 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: that kept sporadically happening from the Mexican side. Kaius had 336 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 1: said that these shots were being fired by irresponsible civilians 337 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 1: and it was pretty much out of his control. But 338 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: after Cabal had Stiller arrested, he went back to Chaius 339 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: and said that he was willing to discipline his soldiers 340 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: when they broke the orders not to fire, but that 341 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: he also needed assurances from Kaius that he was taking 342 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: steps on the Sonora side Caius agreed to try to 343 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: apprehend the shooters on the Mexican side, and although there 344 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: were a few more stray gunshots after this, that was 345 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: the end of most of the fighting. We're going to 346 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: talk about the investigations in the aftermath of all of this, 347 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 1: but first we're going to pause for a little sponsor break. 348 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: After the Battle of Ambo Snogallis, authorities on both sides 349 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: of the border tried to pinpoint and address the issues 350 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: that had contributed to the incident in the first place. 351 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: Caval conducted an investigation of the customs procedures on the 352 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 1: Arizona side of the border, and his ultimate conclusion was 353 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: at the root cause of this incident was resentment from 354 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: the ongoing mistreatment of Mexicans who were trying to cross 355 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: the border. As a result, one US border officer was 356 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: fired for improper conduct because of his ongoing mistreatment of 357 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: Mexicans when they were trying to cross. The investigation cited 358 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:16,440 Speaker 1: quote frequent cases of insolence and overbearing conduct. Then Lieutenant 359 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: Colonel Herman was also demoted and transferred out of No Galis. 360 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: Authorities in both Sonora and Arizona also changed how the 361 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: border agents the guards. Other servicemen at the border were armed. 362 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 1: They started carrying side arms and sometimes clubs instead of 363 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: rifles to try to diffuse some of the tension. The 364 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: barbed wire fence that had been placed along the border 365 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: leading up to this was intended to be temporary, and 366 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: at this point there were some other temporary fences along 367 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 1: the border as well. Most of them were put up 368 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 1: because of security fears due to the Mexican Revolution in 369 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,239 Speaker 1: World War One, but in a couple of cases it 370 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: was to try to keep livestock from crossing the border. 371 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: But after the events of August nineteen seventeen, Kaba recommended 372 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: that the fence in No Galas be lengthened and made permanent, 373 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: and this became the first permanent barrier at the US 374 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,479 Speaker 1: Mexico border. After the end of the war, Senator Albert 375 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: Fall of New Mexico called for Congressional hearings in two 376 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 1: various issues at the US Mexico border. A number of 377 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: businesses and political leaders really wanted the United States to 378 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,199 Speaker 1: intervene in Mexico, mostly to try to protect business and 379 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: financial interests that were being affected by the Mexican Revolution. 380 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: In Fall's case, this was interested in an oil company. 381 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: The hearings were meant to try to convince President Woodrow 382 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 1: Wilson to invade Mexico. The Battle of Ambos No Galas 383 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: was a big part of these hearings, and while they 384 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: didn't entice President Woodrow Wilson to invade Mexico, they did 385 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: influence how Americans understood what had happened at No Galles 386 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:53,199 Speaker 1: for decades. Fred Herman, now a captain, gave testimony at 387 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: these hearings that was at various points dishonest and disingenuous, 388 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: but which continued to be repeated as fact for decades. 389 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: He claimed that in the days leading up to the 390 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 1: Battle of Ambos No Galas, he had received intelligence reports 391 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 1: of strange, well supplied Mexicans and unfamiliar white men in 392 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: No Galas Sonora. He said that he believed, based on 393 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 1: these reports, that No Galis Sonora had been infiltrated by 394 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: German agents and was preparing an attack. Herman also claimed 395 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: that he had received an anonymous letter from someone claiming 396 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: he was a former major in Poncho Villa's army who 397 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 1: had grown disillusioned and disgusted with Villa and the brutalities 398 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 1: of his fighting force. The letter claimed that there would 399 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: be an attack on No Galus, Arizona by a Mexican 400 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: force with German support around August, but it doesn't appear 401 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:45,719 Speaker 1: that there's a copy of that intelligence report or the 402 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: letter anywhere. There was no mention of either of them 403 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: in Cobble's investigation into the incident. And on top of that, 404 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: Herman also described what happened on August in a way 405 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: that was variously just not right. He said that most 406 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: of the people who were fighting in Sonora were soldiers 407 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,400 Speaker 1: when most of them were really civilians. He also said 408 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: that the mayor who had been shot literally while waiving 409 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: a white flag, had had a rifle in his hands 410 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,439 Speaker 1: at the time. When I say that, these things are 411 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: still repeated as fact, Like when I was doing research 412 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: for this podcast, I had a lot of them written 413 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: down as fact in my notes as I was reading 414 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: articles about them, And then I was like, but whatever 415 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: happened with that, the whole German thing like that? Why 416 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: didn't that ever come up in any of this resolution part? 417 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: And it's because it doesn't appear that anybody said anything 418 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: about that until these congressional hearings that were way after 419 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: the fact. So there's suspicion that like none of that 420 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: ever even really happened in terms of getting a letter 421 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: and these intelligence reports. The fence that was erected in 422 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: nineteen eighteen was made of barbed wire. It was later 423 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 1: replaced with chain link and then with large pieces of 424 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: corrugated steel. The current barrier was placed in twenty eleven 425 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: and it costs nearly twelve million dollars. It's between eighteen 426 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: and thirty feet tall, that's between five point five and 427 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: nine ms, and it's made of steel tubes reinforced with 428 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: concrete with four inch or ten centimeter gaps in between. 429 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: This design was meant to allow law enforcement and border 430 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: patrol to see what was happening on the other side 431 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 1: of the wall, but it also had the side effect 432 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: of allowing family members and friends who lived on opposite 433 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: sides of the wall to see and talk to one another. 434 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: In addition to places for people to cross the border, 435 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: the wall also has a port for livestock, especially on 436 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 1: the Sonora side. There's a lot of artwork along the wall, 437 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: some of its formerly sanctioned art installations and some of 438 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 1: its graffiti. A lot of it is expressing objection to 439 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: the wall. Into the policies that led it to still 440 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: be there. There is still a lot of traffic between 441 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: Sonora and Arizona, although that has waned as the border 442 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: has become increasingly militarized, a process that started in the 443 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,919 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties and nineties, but the two cities still have 444 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: a lot of overlap, with many residents having friends and 445 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: family on the other side of the border. No Gallas, 446 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: Arizona is much smaller. It's about twenty people compared to 447 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:16,160 Speaker 1: No Galas Sonora's two hundred and fifty thousand. Interestingly, both 448 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: cities have the same surface and groundwater sources, and the 449 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,719 Speaker 1: wastewater for both is treated at the No Galas International 450 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: Wastewater Treatment Plant in Rio Rico, Arizona. The Battle of 451 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: Ambos No Galas is commemorated more on the Sonora side 452 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: than on the Arizona side, including a ballad that was 453 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: written at the time and is still sung today. There's 454 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: also a memorial to the defenders of No Galas, Sonora 455 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: in the Mexican customs house there, which lists the names 456 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: of the confirmed dead. So the permanent wall through Ambos 457 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,400 Speaker 1: No Galas was erected after a violent cross border conflict 458 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: with the intent that it would prevent something similar in 459 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: the future, and officials have increasingly relied on it as 460 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: a physical barrier to stop illegal border crossings by everyone 461 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,439 Speaker 1: from immigrants to drug and weapons smugglers, but it hasn't 462 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: really stopped any of that. In spite of having been 463 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: designed to deter climbing, people still climb over it daily, 464 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 1: sometimes carrying all kinds of contraband. Every article that you 465 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: read about this wall today, it's like and there are 466 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: still people climbing over it all the time. Also on October, 467 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: unarmed sixteen year old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was shot 468 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: ten times in the back four blocks from his home 469 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: in No Galas, Sonora by US Border Patrol agent Lonnie Schwartz. 470 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:40,120 Speaker 1: Sports fired sixteen times from the United States into Mexico, 471 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: and he said that he was acting in self defense. 472 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: Agents were in the middle of pursuing two people who 473 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: were climbing over the fence with bundles of marijuana, and 474 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: agents reported that Rodriguez and other people on the Mexican 475 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: side were throwing rocks at them to try to distract 476 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,880 Speaker 1: them in their pursuit. There is some security footage, though 477 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: that raises doubts about that accusation, and Rodriguez's family has 478 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: maintained that he was not the type of kid to 479 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: throw rocks at a border patrol officer. Schwartz was indicted 480 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,679 Speaker 1: years later, and he was found not guilty of second 481 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 1: degree murder in April. The jury was not able to 482 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: reach a verdict into lesser manslaughter charges in the case. 483 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 1: As a final note, ambo SnO Gallas is not the 484 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: only binational community in the immediate vicinity. About sixty miles 485 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: that's about ninety seven kilometers to the west is to 486 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: hono Otam Nation. The tribal headquarters is in Cells, Arizona, 487 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: but about two thousand tribal members live in Sonora. This 488 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: has its own complexities, but the border through the Tonodem 489 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: Nation has at least for the past century, been much 490 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: more open than the border through Ambosno Galles. Obviously, the 491 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: nation is working to change that, the nation being the 492 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:54,200 Speaker 1: United States, not the tohnodem Nation. Before we get to 493 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: listener mail, yeah, we have something on a much much 494 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: lighter note to talk about, which is that we have 495 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 1: a new store, yeah, where listeners can come and check 496 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: out T shirts and uh what else other goodies there 497 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: are notebooks and things like phone cases and all kinds 498 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: of fun stuff that you can get our tea Public store. 499 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: It is at t public dot com slash stuffy missed 500 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: in history class, uh, and I don't we we have 501 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: some particular favorite shirt designs and there we have a 502 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: shirt that says look at the babies from our Virginia 503 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: app Guard episode, which is the thing that people still 504 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: tweeted us whenever Virginia acar comes up in the news 505 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 1: for some reason. And if you are like me a 506 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: little bit more of a ten year old, there is 507 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: a really fun shirt design based on our long ago 508 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: Automata episode that features Wilkinson's famous pooping duck, which was 509 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: a robot. Yes, uh so yeah, you can check those out. 510 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: And as well as like there is a fun design 511 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: that's just our our standard show logo uh, and lots 512 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: of other fun stuff and adding more all the time, 513 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: so you can check that out. Get fun stuff. I 514 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: really really can say without hesitation, I have probably in 515 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: the three digits of te Public shirts that I have 516 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: acquired over the years. I love them, they last beautifully 517 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: and I wear them all the time, so hopefully you 518 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 1: guys will enjoy them. As well. I also have some 519 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: list for mail. Hooray list listener. Mail is from Aliah. 520 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: Lee actually sent us a couple of weeks ago, and 521 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: and at this point, it's going to be many more 522 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: weeks before this episode even comes out because we are 523 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: getting ahead of things to prepare for our upcoming tour. 524 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: Leah says, Hello, Holly and Tracy. I'm writing in as 525 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: a long time listener of the show, who, like many others, 526 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: greatly appreciate how much you've both improved my commute and 527 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: many road trips. I wanted to reach out because your 528 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: episode about the poet Edna St. Vincent Malay was one 529 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: of my favorites. I've been planning to take a trip 530 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: to see her home of Steepletop for some time, but 531 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: when I went to check its hours for tours recently, 532 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: I found out that the property is in danger of 533 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: closing to the public at the end of the eighteenth season. 534 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: Long story short, I contacted Malay's literary executor to find 535 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 1: out more about why, and I ended up writing this 536 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: article on how people can help. Essentially, the society that 537 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: manages the property has been operating at a loss even 538 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: as more and more people find out about Malay and 539 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 1: visit the site. I thought I would share as I 540 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: probably wouldn't have found out about this if not for 541 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: your episode about her. Thank you both for all your 542 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: hard work on the podcast. Regards Leah. Thank you Leah 543 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: for this note. I'm on the Steepletop mailing list, so 544 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: I had gotten a note about this back at the 545 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: beginning of the spring, I think, but we haven't really 546 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: mentioned it on the show. Um that visiting Steepletop was 547 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: part of the research for that episode. That's a two 548 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: part episode on edd to s Vinci la Um and 549 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: it is a beautiful house and a beautiful grounds with 550 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 1: a beautiful poet that's connected to all of it. So um, 551 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: we will it all link to that article, uh in 552 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: the show notes for this episode. I few would like 553 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 1: to write to us about this or any other podcast 554 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: Where History podcast at how stuff Works dot com, and 555 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: we're also all over social media, miss in History. That's 556 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: where you can find us on Facebook and Twitter and 557 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 1: Instagram and Pinterest. You can come to our website, which 558 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: is missing history dot com, where you will find show 559 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: notes for all the episodes that Holly and I have 560 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: ever done together and a searchable archive of all the 561 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 1: episodes we have ever done, ever, and you can subscribe 562 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,719 Speaker 1: to our show on Apple podcasts and Google podcasts and 563 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: where else you get your podcasts. For more on this 564 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics, visit how staff works dot com.