In part 5 of The Comanches, the Spanish are reeling from a defeat against a combined force of Comanches, and French supplied Wichitas and Caddos... along the Red River..

But things are going well for the French either… They’ve stumbled into a bloody, expensive, and somewhat hopeless war against the British... for the Ohio Territory.

It’s a  struggle that would later involve the Spanish… who because of their involvement...would lose control of Florida…but somehow... gain control of the Louisiana Territory…

By the time the Spanish consolidate this new province… the Comanches grew bolder and more powerful… and soon had  many parts of New Mexico… Northern Mexico and Texas… under siege…

But all wasn’t lost… as it gave rise to a new Spanish military commander.. One who would laid out a blueprint… for gaining their respect… Juan De Anza…

In part 4 of this series, driven by the quest for silver the Spanish expand into, and settle Northern Mexico.

Along the way, they learn to pacify and, if needed , to fight the "wild indios" they encounter.

To do so, they constructed missions and presidios…recruit allies and train priests… and, most importantly of all, they perfect the use of mounted cavalry... to patrol the vast landscape…

In the early 1700s… fearful of the intentions of French in nearby Louisiana…they cross the Rio Grande... and begin to colonize Texas…As they consolidate their supply route through central Texas…they finally meet their match…at a place called San Saba. ..

In part 3 of this series, not to be outdone by the Spanish, the French send explorers to North America.

Willing to trade muskets, metal knives, axes, and arrowheads in exchange for furs, the French upset the delicate balance of power among Native American tribes.

As these French traders spread out across what would become known as the Louisiana Territory in search of new fur trapping grounds, to trade with plains tribes, they discover an existing horse trading operation...horses supplied by the Comanches...

In part 2 of this series, the Spanish introduce Iberian ponies to the New World, where they thrive in their new environment.

After successfully using the horse to consolidate their power in Mexico... and New Mexico...the Spanish face an uprising by an unlikely group of rebels, which led to the dispersal of wild horses into the Southwest...

These horses soon fall into the hands of the Comanches... who quickly master these animals, and use them to make war on their new enemy... the Apaches...

In this multi-part series, we'll explore the history of the Comanches... and how they helped to shape the history of the American West and Northern Mexico…

In part 1 of this series, we delve into the mind of the Comanches before they adopted the horse and the plains lance. We uncover what motivated them; how they thought about life; and explore the utter brutality of their existence. This episode is not for the faint of heart…