History of New Mexico

New Mexico was originally home to many Native American peoples, including the Pueblo, Apache, and Navajo, before Spanish explorers established settlements in the 16th century. It later became part of Mexico, then the United States in 1848, and achieved statehood in 1912.

Apache Nation

The Apache Nation is made up of several tribes from the Southwestern United States, known for their strong warrior traditions and skill in survival across deserts and mountains. They resisted Spanish, Mexican, and American expansion for centuries, with leaders like Geronimo becoming legendary.

Ute Nation

The Ute people are Native Americans from the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain regions, especially present-day Utah and Colorado. Traditionally, they were skilled hunters, gatherers, and horsemen, and they continue to preserve their culture and traditions today.

Navajo Nation

The Navajo, or Diné, are Native American people from the Southwest United States, known for their rich traditions, farming, and sheep herding. They are renowned for their weaving, silver jewelry, and ceremonies that focus on harmony, healing, and balance with nature.

Puebloan People

The Puebloan people are Native American groups from the Southwestern United States, especially in present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. They are known for their farming, cliff dwellings, multi-story adobe homes, ceremonial kivas, and rich spiritual traditions involving Kachinas.

The Travels of Francisco Coronado

Francisco Coronado was a Spanish explorer who led a major expedition through the American Southwest in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. Although he never found the riches he sought, his journey marked the first European sightings of the Grand Canyon and helped map much of the interior of North America.

In Depth:

• The Seven Cities of Cibola
• Coronado's Cross

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny was the 19th-century belief that the United States was destined by God to expand its territory across North America. It was used to justify westward expansion, the displacement of Native Americans, and wars such as the Mexican-American War.

Santa Fe Trail

The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century trade route that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was used by traders, settlers, and the military, playing a key role in westward expansion.

The Gadsden Purchase was an agreement in 1853 in which the United States acquired land from Mexico, roughly 29,670 square miles in present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico, for $10 million. The purchase was intended to facilitate the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad and solidify U.S. control over the region following the Mexican-American War.