Evidence from archaeologists conveys the existence
of natives back to approximately 9,200 B.C. But the written history began in 1939
when Spain claimed the area. Upon arrival the explorers encountered Pueblo, Navajo
and Apache Indians living in the area. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado assembled an
enormous expedition at Compostela, Mexico in 1540-1542 to explore and find the mystical
Seven Golden Cities of Cibola as described by Cabeza de Vaca who had just arrived
from his eight-year ordeal traveling from Florida to Mexico. He discovered the Grand
Canyon, and made it all the way to Kansas, but in the end those "Cities of Gold"
turned out to be a fabricated legend. In 1598 the first Spanish settlement was established
on the Rio Grande River by Juan de Onate; in 1610 Santa Fe was founded and made
the capital of New Mexico.
Over the next sixty years, Spanish exploration
continued here, albeit slowly. Missionaries and settlers traded with the indigenous
Pueblo Indians, and by the end of the 16th century, churches were being built, including
the first one in all of North America.
In 1680 the Pueblo Revolt winded up killing
hundreds of Spaniards and forcing the rest back into Mexico. Following their success,
the different Pueblo tribes, separated by hundreds of miles and six different languages,
quarreled as to who would occupy Santa Fe and rule over the country. These power
struggles, combined with raids from nomadic tribes and a seven year drought, weakened
the Pueblo resolve and set the stage for a Spanish reconquest. In July of 1692,
Diego de Vargas returned to Santa Fe. De Vargas surrounded the city before dawn
and called on the Indians to surrender, promising clemency if they would swear allegiance
to the King of Spain and return to the Christian faith. The Indian leaders gathered
in Santa Fe, met with De Vargas, and agreed to peace. On September 14, 1692, de
Vargas proclaimed a formal act of repossession. Many years of bloodshed and war
followed, including raids by the Apache and Comanche Indians. In the end battles
were won and agreements were forged, as the Spanish settlers were very determined
- and here to stay.
Following Mexico's successful War of Independence
from Spain in 1821, the New Mexico Territory came under Mexican control. Then, during
the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), both America and Mexico fought for control
of Texas. When that war ended, (by agreement) the fast-growing U.S. took possession
of Texas, and what is now California, Nevada, Utah, parts of Arizona, Colorado,
and Wyoming, and of course, the New Mexico Territory.
In the 1880's the railroads arrived; commerce
began flowing in and out, and the population expanded rapidly. In 1912, New Mexico
became the 47th state, with Santa Fe as the state capital.
During World War II, many Navajo Indians from
New Mexico fought in the war. They used the Navajo language in code to send messages
the Japanese could not understand. In 1943, scientists developed the atomic bomb
in Los Alamos. July 1945, the government exploded the first bomb in the desert near
Alamogordo. The following month the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan
that ended the war.
Albuquerque expanded rapidly after the war.
High-altitude experiments near Roswell in 1947 reputedly led to persistent (unproven)
claims by a few that the government captured and concealed extraterrestrial corpses
and equipment. 
The state quickly emerged as a leader in nuclear, solar, and geothermal
energy research and development. The Sandia National Laboratories, founded in 1949,
carried out nuclear research and special weapons development at Kirtland Air Force
Base south of Albuquerque and at Livermore, California.
Minerals are the state's richest natural resource,
and New Mexico is one of the U.S. leaders in output of uranium and potassium salts.
Petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and molybdenum also contribute
heavily to the state's income.
The principal manufacturing industries include
food products, chemicals, transportation equipment, lumber, electrical machinery,
and stone-clay-glass products. More than two-thirds of New Mexico's farm income
comes from livestock products, especially sheep. Cotton, pecans, and sorghum are
the most important field crops. Corn, peanuts, beans, onions, chilies, and lettuce
are also grown.
New Mexico Famous People