“Caffey offers a thorough study of one of the most notorious political machines of the nineteenth-century American West.”—Choice
“Caffey tells a complex and interesting tale and in the process advances our understanding of territorial New Mexico by exploring the role and cause of violence and other topics.”—Journal of American History
“Caffey does an excellent job tracing major aspects of the sordid late nineteenth-century activities that led to the alienation of millions of acres of probably legitimate land grants, questionable government contracts involving the army and several Indian reservations, and a variety of other ways in which one could make a shady thousand or so. . . The volume deserves a place on any list of recommended New Mexico books.”—Western Historical Quarterly
“Southwestern scholars will find much of value here, as will historians interested in nineteenth-century politics, mythmaking, and the writing of history.”—Southwestern Historical Quarterly
“This book, a significant contribution to the study of the history of the West, is the starting place for anyone seeking the Santa Fe Ring.”—Montana The Magazine of Western History
“ Chasing the Santa Fe Ring is an excellent study of a slippery topic. It is thoughtful, balanced, and exceptionally well written. Caffey is clearly an expert on New Mexico history and politics.”—The Journal of Arizona History
“A solid examination of an elusive group of ringleaders.”—H-Net Reviews
“The most comprehensive examination of the Santa Fe Ring to date. Whether or not one agrees with the author’s analysis and conclusions, he has succeeded in amassing a vast amount of information and sources that will provide scholars and general readers alike with enough food for thought to last a long time.”—Robert Tórrez, former State Historian of New Mexico and author of UFO’s Over Galisteo and Other Stories of New Mexico’s History
“This long over-due book-length study of the infamous Santa Fe Ring puts New Mexico’s territorial politics in the broader context of corruption and politics in western states and at the national level during the Gilded Age. Caffey shows an impressive attention to detail, such as with his important appendix listing members of the Santa Fe Ring over several decades. A notable contribution to the study of the territorial period and the dynamics leading up to statehood in 1912.”—Laura Gómez, Professor of Law, UCLA, author of Manifest Destinies: The Making of the Mexican American Race
“The Santa Fe Ring is the most maligned, least studied political and economic clique in New Mexico history. With masterful research and analysis, David Caffey has removed the veil of intrigue to reveal the Ring, its members, and its nefarious activities. This will be the definitive book on the Santa Fe Ring for decades to come.”—Richard Melzer, coauthor, A History of New Mexico Since Statehood
