Shadows at Dawn

Shadows at Dawn: A Borderlands Massacre and the Violence of History is a work of Native American history by Karl Jacoby. It was first published in 2008 and won the 2009 Albert J. Beveridge Award. The book covers a large-scale massacre of Apaches that was 400 years in the making, and the narrative examines the factors responsible for the tragedy. Critics praise Jacoby for the depth of research he undertook for the book. Jacoby specializes in borderlands and Native American history, and he’s the author of three nonfiction books. He attended both Brown and Yale University, where he received his Ph.D.

On April 30th, 1871, a converging army of Anglos, Mexicans, and Indians slaughtered over 100 Apache women and children. Now, the incident is remembered as the Camp Grant Massacre. Historians have puzzled over this massacre for decades for two reasons: firstly, it’s surprising that the soldiers attacked women and children, and secondly, it’s unclear why everyone ganged up on the Apaches. Jacoby explores these questions in Shadows at Dawn.

The Camp Grant Massacre, Jacoby explains, illustrates how complex Native American history is, how inaccurate our Native American stereotypes are, and how little we understand the period. Shadows at Dawn explores the massacre from numerous perspectives to show how easily history can be skewed and distorted in favor of any one side. To fully understand Native American history, we must understand it from all sides.



The Camp Grant Massacre begins at the Arizona-Mexico border region. Here, settlers and natives converge and live uncomfortably together. Shadows at Dawn brings together four sides of the Camp Grant Massacre Story: the Anglo Americans, the Mexican Americans, the Tohono O’odham Indians, and the Apache Indians. In 1871, these four groups inhabit the Arizona-Mexico border region, and they each want to claim it as their own. In Shadows at Dawn, Jacoby aims to show that there are villains and heroes on every side of this story.

The massacre takes place inside an Apache camp within the borderlands. This camp, Jacoby notes, should be safe from any intruders. The US government establishes a peaceful policy towards the Indians, and leaders want to help the tribes integrate with settlers. In 1871, the camp falls under the protection of the US Army, but this protection inevitably fails.

The US government condemns American settlers in the region. The government believes that the settlers launched an unprovoked attack on the Apaches, and this ruins the government’s agenda. The settlers, however, argue that the attack wasn’t unprovoked. They claim they feel unsafe living beside the Apaches and that their own government doesn’t protect them from frequent brutality.



Jacoby isn’t surprised that Anglo Americans attacked Apaches. What surprises him is that the settlers joined forces with other groups to do so. He examines the contemporary evidence available and suggests that the seeds of conflict sprouted back in the 17th century, when the first Spanish missionaries arrived. The Spanish missionaries and the Anglo Americans are both settlers in a new world. This common ground is the perfect starting point for an alliance.

Jacoby notes that there’s a large Mexican presence in the borderlands when the Spanish arrive. The indigenous people are already angry, and they’re suffering at the hands of these settlers. When the Anglo Americans arrive, tensions only rise further. Although the government allots the Apaches a makeshift reserve, the settlers consistently encroach upon indigenous land. Conflict is almost inevitable.

Shadows at Dawn reveals how blurry the US-Mexico border was at the time of the Camp Grant Massacre. Everyone has their own ideas of where borders begin and end, and miscommunications cause many conflicts. Trying to build a cooperative community is no easy task. Everyone feels threatened. What’s more, the Indians detest being misidentified and they are very proud of which tribe they belong to. Confusion over tribes and mistaken identities frequently cause offense and frustration. The borderlands are nothing short of a melting pot. However, it’s still not clear who was “right” and who was “wrong.”



Jacoby then considers what happens after the Camp Grant Massacre, and how different groups remember the events differently. He examines contemporary news reports and political comments and concludes that, while the US press portrays the Apaches as murderous heathens, the Anglo Americans are allegedly virtuous and innocent. The press convinces the public that the Apaches are dangerous, wicked, and condemnable, and that it’s only right to slaughter them. This attitude is responsible for perpetuating the dangerously inaccurate stereotypes we see today.

Things only get worse, Jacoby explains, when the US government tries to convert the Indians to Christianity. When the Indians refuse to convert, the Americans see this as proof of their devilry and there’s a public outcry for eradicating Indians. This is a very dangerous narrative, Jacoby notes, and what’s especially troublesome is that few people today know anything about the Camp Grant Massacre. It’s an event that’s been erased and censored for too long, and Shadows at Dawn urges people to reconsider their perceptions of Native American history and understand that history is far more complex and nuanced than we’re led to believe.