Prehistory The first known inhabitants of New Mexico were members of the
Clovis culture of
Paleo-Indians. Footprints discovered in 2017 suggest that humans may have been present in the region as long ago as 21,000–23,000 BC. Later inhabitants include the
Mogollon and
Ancestral Pueblo cultures, which are characterized by sophisticated pottery work and urban development;
pueblos or their remnants, like those at
Acoma,
Taos, and
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, indicate the scale of
Ancestral Puebloan dwellings within the area. These cultures form part of the broader
Oasisamerica region of pre-Columbian North America. The vast trade networks of the Ancestral Puebloans led to legends throughout
Mesoamerica and the
Aztec Empire (
Mexico) of an unseen northern empire that rivaled their own, which they called
Yancuic Mexico, literally translated as "a new Mexico".
Nuevo México New Spain era Aztec legends of a prosperous empire to their north became the primary basis for the mythical
Seven Cities of Gold, which spurred exploration by Spanish
conquistadors following their
conquest of the Aztecs in the early 16th century; prominent explorers included
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca,
Andrés Dorantes de Carranza,
Alonso del Castillo Maldonado,
Estevanico, and
Marcos de Niza. The settlement of
La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís — modern day Santa Fe – was established by
Pedro de Peralta as a more permanent capital at the foot of the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains in 1610. Towards the end of the 17th century, the
Pueblo Revolt drove out the Spanish and occupied these early cities for over a decade. After the death of Pueblo leader
Popé,
Diego de Vargas restored the area to Spanish rule, Governor
Francisco Cuervo y Valdés established the villa in
Tiguex to provide
free trade access and facilitate cultural exchange in the region. Beyond forging better relations with the Pueblos, governors were forbearing in their approach to the indigenous peoples, such as was with governor
Tomás Vélez Cachupín; the comparatively large reservations in New Mexico and
Arizona are partly a legacy of Spanish treaties recognizing indigenous land claims in Nuevo México. Nevertheless, relations between the various indigenous groups and Spanish settlers remained nebulous and complex, varying from trade and commerce to cultural assimilation and intermarriage to total warfare. During most of the 18th century, raids by
Navajo,
Apache, and especially
Comanche inhibited the growth and prosperity of the New Mexico. The region's harsh environment and remoteness, surrounded by hostile Native Americans, fostered a greater degree of self-reliance, as well as pragmatic cooperation, between the
Pueblo peoples and colonists. Many indigenous communities enjoyed a large measure of autonomy well into the late 19th century due to the improved governance. To encourage settlement in its vulnerable periphery, Spain awarded land grants to European settlers in Nuevo México; due to the scarcity of water throughout the region, the vast majority of colonists resided in the central valley of the Rio Grande and its tributaries. Most communities were walled enclaves consisting of adobe houses that opened onto a plaza, from which four streets ran outward to small, private agricultural plots and orchards; these were watered by
acequias, community owned and operated irrigation canals. Just beyond the wall was the
ejido, communal land for grazing, firewood, or recreation. By 1800, the population of New Mexico had reached 25,000 (not including indigenous inhabitants), far exceeding the territories of California and Texas.
Mexico era when it belonged to Mexico in 1824 As part of New Spain, the province of New Mexico became part of the
First Mexican Empire in 1821 following the
Mexican War of Independence. The death of then governor
Albino Pérez during the revolt, was met with further hostility. Though José Gonzales was executed due to his involvement in the governor's death, subsequent governors
Manuel Armijo and
Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid agreed with some of the underlying sentiment. This led to New Mexico becoming financially and politically tied to the U.S., and preferring trade along the
Santa Fe Trail.
Territorial phase Following the victory of the United States in the Mexican–American War (1846–48), Mexico
ceded its northern territories to the U.S., including California, Texas, and New Mexico. and also vowed to accept the land rights of
Nuevomexicans and grant them citizenship. In 1864, President
Abraham Lincoln symbolized the recognition of Native land rights with the Lincoln Canes,
sceptres
of office gifted to each of the Pueblos, a tradition dating back to Spanish and Mexican eras. After the
Republic of Texas was admitted as a state in 1846, it attempted to claim the eastern portion of New Mexico east of the Rio Grande, while the
California Republic and
State of Deseret each claimed parts of western New Mexico. Under the
Compromise of 1850, these regions were forced by the U.S. government to drop their claims, Texas received $10million in federal funds, California was granted statehood, and officially establishing the
Utah Territory; therein recognizing most of New Mexico's historically established land claims. it included most of present-day Arizona and New Mexico, along with the
Las Vegas Valley and what would later become
Clark County in
Nevada. In 1853 the U.S. acquired the mostly desert southwestern bootheel of the state, along with Arizona's land south of the Gila River, in the
Gadsden Purchase, which was needed for the right-of-way to encourage construction of a
transcontinental railroad. The end of the war saw
rapid economic development and settlement in New Mexico, which attracted homesteaders, ranchers, cowboys, businessmen, and outlaws; many of the
folklore characters of the
Western genre had their origins in New Mexico, most notably businesswoman
Maria Gertrudis Barceló, outlaw
Billy the Kid, and lawmen
Pat Garrett and
Elfego Baca. The influx of "Anglo Americans" from the eastern U.S. (which include African Americans and recent European immigrants) reshaped the state's economy, culture, and politics. Into the late 19th century, the majority of New Mexicans remained ethnic mestizos of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry (primarily Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, Genízaro, and Comanche), many of whom had roots going back to Spanish settlement in the 16th century; this distinctly New Mexican ethnic group became known as
Hispanos and developed a more pronounced identity vis-a-vis the newer Anglo arrivals. Politically, they still controlled most town and county offices through local elections, and wealthy ranching families commanded considerable influence, preferring business,
legislative, and
judicial relations with fellow indigenous New Mexican groups. By contrast, Anglo Americans, who were "outnumbered, but well-organized and growing" tended to have more ties to the territorial government, whose officials were appointed by the U.S. federal government; subsequently, newer residents of New Mexico generally favored maintaining territorial status, which they saw as a check on Native and Hispano influence. , 1861A consequence of the civil war was intensifying conflict with indigenous peoples, which was part of the broader American
Indian Wars along the frontier. The withdrawal of troops and material for the war effort had prompted raids by hostile tribes, and the federal government moved to subdue the many native communities that had been effectively autonomous throughout the colonial period. Following the elimination of the Confederate threat, Brigadier General
James Carleton, who had assumed command of the Military Department of New Mexico in 1862, led what he described as a "merciless war against all hostile tribes" that aimed to "force them to their knees, and then confine them to reservations where they could be Christianized and instructed in agriculture." Indeed, some territorial governors, like
Lew Wallace, had served in both the Mexican and American militaries.
Statehood boy in
Chamisal, 1940The
United States Congress admitted New Mexico as the
47th state on January 6, 1912. When the U.S. entered the First World War roughly five years later, New Mexicans volunteered in significant numbers, in part to prove their loyalty as full-fledged citizens of the U.S. The state ranked fifth in the nation for military service, enlisting more than 17,000 recruits from all 33 counties; over 500 New Mexicans were killed in the war. Indigenous-Hispanic families had long been established since the Spanish and Mexican era, but most American settlers in the state had an uneasy relationship with the large Native American tribes. Most indigenous New Mexicans lived on
reservations and near old
placitas and
villas. In 1924, Congress passed a law granting all Native Americans U.S. citizenship and the right to vote in federal and state elections. However, Anglo-American arrivals into New Mexico enacted
Jim Crow laws against Hispanos, Hispanic Americans, and those who did not pay taxes, targeting indigenous affiliated individuals; because Hispanics often had
interpersonal relationships with indigenous peoples, they were often subject to
segregation,
social inequality, and
employment discrimination. A major oil discovery in 1928 near the town of
Hobbs brought greater wealth to the state, especially in surrounding
Lea County. The New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources called it "the most important single discovery of oil in New Mexico's history". Nevertheless, agriculture and cattle ranching remained the primary economic activities. New Mexico was
greatly transformed by the U.S. entry into the
Second World War in December 1941. As in the First World War,
patriotism ran high among New Mexicans, including among marginalized Hispanic and indigenous communities; on a per capita basis, New Mexico produced more volunteers, and suffered more casualties, than any other state. The war also spurred economic development, particularly in extractive industries, with the state becoming a leading supplier of several strategic resources. New Mexico's rough terrain and geographic isolation made it an attractive location for several sensitive military and scientific installations; the most famous was
Los Alamos, one of the central facilities of the
Manhattan Project, where the first
atomic bombs were designed and manufactured. The first bomb was tested at
Trinity site in the desert between
Socorro and
Alamogordo, which is today part of the
White Sands Missile Range. The
Los Alamos National Laboratory and
Sandia National Laboratories, two of the nation's leading
federal scientific research facilities, originated from the Manhattan Project. The focus on high technology is still a top priority of the state, to the extent that it became a center for
unidentified flying objects, especially following the 1947
Roswell incident. New Mexico saw its population nearly double from roughly 532,000 in 1940 to over 954,000 by 1960. In addition to federal personnel and agencies, many residents and businesses moved to the state, particularly from the northeast, often drawn by its warm climate and low taxes. The pattern continues into the 21st century, with New Mexico adding over 400,000 residents between 2000 and 2020. Native Americans from New Mexico fought for the United States in both world wars. Returning veterans were disappointed to find their civil rights limited by state discrimination. In Arizona and New Mexico, veterans challenged state laws or practices prohibiting them from voting. In 1948, after veteran Miguel Trujillo Sr. of
Isleta Pueblo was told by the county registrar that he could not register to vote, he filed suit against the county in federal district court. A three-judge panel overturned as unconstitutional New Mexico's provisions that Native Americans who did not pay taxes (and could not document if they had paid taxes) could not vote. In the early to mid-20th century, the art presence in Santa Fe grew, and it became known as one of the world's great art centers. The presence of artists such as
Georgia O'Keeffe attracted many others, including those along
Canyon Road. In the late 20th century, Native Americans were authorized by federal law to establish gaming casinos on their reservations under certain conditions, in states which had authorized such gaming. Such facilities have helped tribes close to population centers generate revenues for reinvestment in the economic development and welfare of their peoples. The
Albuquerque metropolitan area is home to several casinos as a result. In the 21st century, employment growth areas in New Mexico include
electronic circuitry,
scientific research, information technology,
casinos,
art of the American Southwest, food,
film, and
media, particularly in Albuquerque. The state was the founding location of
Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, which led to the founding of
Microsoft in Albuquerque.
Intel maintains their F11X in
Rio Rancho, which also hosts an IT center for
HP Inc. New Mexico's culinary scene became recognized and is now a source of revenue for the state.
Albuquerque Studios has become a filming hub for
Netflix, and it was brought international media production companies to the state like
NBCUniversal. The
COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of New Mexico on March 11, 2020. On December 23, 2020, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 1,174 new COVID-19 cases and 40 deaths, bringing the cumulative statewide totals to 133,242 cases and 2,243 deaths since the start of the pandemic. ==Geography==