St. John’s Demarcating the Border

In “Line in the Sand”, St. John uses a variety of techniques to shape her account of the history of the formation of the United States and Mexico border. St. John uses personal accounts from different characters, their background, and their roles in establishment of the border. For example, St. John includes background and information on the members of the Border Commission and their roles in establishing the border. They were tasked with surveying the land and their explorations contributed to the demarcating of the line along with the terrain, previous travel routes, and communities that were already living along the border. These characters played a crucial role in how the border came to be the way it is currently. St. John utilizes historical events from both the United States and Mexico to explain each side’s goals in relation to why they wanted to form the border and why they wanted security around the border. The shifting to railroad travel during the late 1800’s brought many more people to the border towns and therefore warranted more security. The policing of the border began with the Apache raiding but also progressed when the population increased, and travel was beginning to be regulated across the border. St. John’s vivid description starts in the early years of the 1800’s where travel across the land is essentially free and non-policed. Social interaction between the United States and Mexico happened regularly without interference from the government. Throughout the book, St. John uses events such as establishment of the railroad and Apache’s raiding of communities to explain how the U.S. and Mexico collaborated on their efforts to increase security along the border and eventually it turns into the heavily policed border that it is today. Across the different time frames in St. John’s book, one thing is common: the need to establish the border and the need to increase security along the border to regulate flow of people and goods. St. John explains how it was not an easy and simple process of demarcating the line to separate the U.S. and Mexico, but a long and eventful process that established the border. She also explains that the need for policing the border was an interest both sides had due to the increase in population by formation of towns and cities surrounding the border. In order to be secure in property and life, both sides had to join efforts in establishing a plan to form a border that served the interest of both nations while at the same time providing security to each side. Over time, the goal of the border changed from having free travel and trade, to a heavily monitored and secured place that it is now. Progress on both sides of the border requires the contribution of both sides to make it a place of peaceful and easily accessed ports of entry to promote safe and secure commerce, trade, and travel of goods and people.