DEMING – A Western New Mexico University history professor’s research is challenging long-held assumptions about when slavery and related forms of forced servitude ended in the United States, with findings focused on Silver City and southwest New Mexico.
Andy Hernandez, Ph.D., a professor of history at WNMU, contributed a chapter to the book “Unpacking Silver City: Revealing the Rich Tapestry of a Historic Town.” His research argues that Indigenous slavery and closely related practices continued in Silver City and the broader region long after the 13th Amendment, persisting in some forms until as recently as 1977.
Hernandez’s work examines archival records and oral histories showing that displaced or orphaned Indigenous people were placed into local households and ranches under exploitative conditions. His research describes those arrangements as illegal and unethical forms of enslavement or domestic servitude that remained hidden within local social and legal structures.
“As a scholar, I’m dedicated to emphasizing the human element of history—ensuring that the story of Silver City isn’t only about mining or other basic elements of economic development, but about the diverse people who built the town,” Hernandez said.
According to Hernandez, the history of Silver City cannot be fully understood by looking only at mining, settlement and economic growth. His research argues that the town’s development also depended on coerced labor and the forced assimilation of Native Americans during periods often remembered as frontier progress.
The chapter also examines how legal loopholes, weak oversight and rigid social systems allowed abusive labor arrangements to continue in the shadows of the law. Hernandez said centering the experiences of those who were enslaved, held captive or forced into servitude provides a more honest account of the region’s history.
The book explores Silver City’s transition from a mining camp into a more established community, while also raising questions about the human cost behind that development. Hernandez said confronting those foundational injustices is necessary for historical accuracy, community dialogue and reconciliation.
“Unpacking Silver City: Revealing the Rich Tapestry of a Historic Town,” by Bart Roselli, includes chapters from WNMU professors Hernandez and Scott Fritz. The book is available through several online retailers.
More information about Western New Mexico University degree programs and class offerings is available at wnmu.edu.
By John Krehbiel – Bravo Mic Communications – john@bravomic.com
