Explore New Mexico's history
In 1598, nearly a decade before the English landed in America and claimed Jamestown to be the first settlement in America, Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate was leading 500 pioneer colonists north from Mexico City to what became the territory of Nuevo México with its capital at Santa Fe. He wasn’t the first. Fifty years before, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado crossed New Mexico in search of the seven golden cities of Cibola. This is the beginning of written history in the Land of Enchantment, but it’s not the beginning of human history.
For more than 12,000 years, Paleo-Indians roamed from the mountains to the plains, a nomadic people living by hunting and gathering across the land. Clovis and Folsom spear points of these archaic people who traversed the entire continent were named after the New Mexican cities where they were first found.
In time, some people settled along the Rio Grande, creating villages of pit houses and growing domesticated corn, beans, and squash -- the Three Sisters of Native Americans. As the villages prospered, they grew into the tiered, adobe pueblos that range east to west from Pecos to Zuni and north to south from Santa Clara to Isleta, although there are ancient ruins found elsewhere in the state.
The Spanish brought their culture and their religion, which they 
imposed on the native people. Much of what they brought was endearing and enlightening, but much also was cruel and unforgiving. The Spanish were thrown out of New Mexico during the Pueblo revolt in 1680. They returned to stay twelve years later, and the native people finally accommodated and embraced the new culture. Generations passed and those born in Mexico grew weary of the yoke of Spain. In 1810, Mexico threw off the yoke and gained its independence, although the Mexican government was as heavy-handed with New Mexico as the Spanish had been.
With the coming of the Santa Fe Trail in 1821 came Americans, fulfilling their Manifest Destiny and westward expansion to the Pacific. Cultures clashed again, leading to the Mexican-American War in 1846. When it ended two years later with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico’s northern territories, encompassing New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming, were part of the United States.
The vast New Mexican land taken from Mexico finally became an official territory in 1850 but was only half its original size. The other half became Arizona Territory. It’s borders were finally stabilized in 1853 with the $15 million Gadsden Purchase, giving the state its “boot heel” and the railroads an economical southern passage to complete the second transcontinental railroad by 1880.
New Mexico was now embroiled in American politics about whether it would be a slave state or a free state. The legislature petitioned fifteen times for statehood and was refused. While most people think the Civil War was fought east of the Mississippi, and most of it was, the war had its impact on New Mexico. The Texas Confederate Battalion occupied southern New Mexico, setting up a capital in the town of Mesilla. The Battalion marched north intent on capturing Fort Union and securing both gold and Pacific ports. They battled the Union to a draw at Valverde, just north of Fort Craig, and faced off again at Glorieta Pass, northeast of Santa Fe and within range of their objective. The story of the battle is fascinating but was disastrous to the Confederacy. The Texas Battalion lost and retreated home, never again to attempt occupying New Mexico.
New Mexico finally achieved statehood on January 6, 1912, becoming the 47th state. Arizona became the 48th state five weeks later.
New Mexico ranks 36th in terms of population, with more than two million residents. However, it is the fifth largest state, comprising 121,596 square miles. You could put the nine northeast states from Maine to the eastern half of Pennsylvania in the same space.
There are many notable New Mexicans, both those born here and those who have chosen to call New Mexico home. You might know of Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, our Governor Lew Wallace who wrote Ben Hur, and cattleman John Chisum who was involved in the Lincoln County War. You might also know of singer John Denver and artist Peter Hurd, both born in Roswell; hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, born in the village of San Antonio; and Tony Hillerman, the Oklahoma-born novelist, and actor Dennis Hopper, born in Dodge City, Kansas, both of whom made New Mexico their homes.
Our state flower is the yucca. Our state gem is turquoise, and our state question is “Red or green?” It refers to your preference for either red or green chile. The official answer is “Christmas,” meaning some of both, because red or green, chile is a wonderful addition to just about any meal. You might say it’s one of the ingredients that make this the Land of Enchantment.
