The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war between the United States and Mexico in 1848, and Mexico surrendered more than half of its land to the US. Trade along El Camino Real, then known as the Chihuahua Trail, continued and now linked the two nations. The US military quickly built forts and stationed soldiers along the trail to protect caravans and secure the lands. In 1854, the US built Fort Craig to protect this area, and it became known as the starting point for campaigns against the Apaches, Navajos, and Comanches. The garrison battled raiding parties in the Jornada del Muerto and rescued stolen livestock. Under the fort's protection, the settlements of San Marcial to the north and Paraje to the south flourished as trade centers.