New Mexico and Texas History: 1492-Statehood -- School Reform

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Date Posted: 11:34:16 08/21/13 Wed
Author: .all the while, there was New Spain
Author Host/IP: 199-195-168-213.southwestern-wireless.com / 199.195.168.213
Subject: New Mexico and Texas History: 1492-Statehood

Meanwhile, there was New Spain.

New Mexico and Texas History: 1492 - Statehood

A.D. 1300. And the Pueblos built homes, villages in today�s New Mexico; adobe buildings, 4, 5 stories high. In Texas, 1492, nomadic tribes: The Comanche�s ruled the northern Texas plains into New Mexico. Apache�s lived in mid and southern New Mexico and throughout central Texas. Comanche Tribes along the coast, were cannibals who spread fish oil or blood to protect themselves from mosquitoes. In today�s New Mexico, the Navaho people were semi nomadic, and they were greatly influenced by the Pueblo people. Each Group, was not one Tribe, but many. Defending their borders from the soon coming imminent threat was therefore, impossible.

Europe discovered America, 1492. 1519, Cortez betrays Montezuma, and attacks Tenochtitlan and wins. On top of the ruins Mexico City was built. All the way from the tip of South America, up through today�s Mexico, the native population were enslaved, ruled by Spain. Today�s Mexico was named New Spain. They found two gold cities of a sort, (there were even legends that spoke of 7 such cities), one in Peru, and of course Montezuma�s Tenochtitlan. Spain was now very interested in finding more golden cities. All land north of New Spain was referred to by the Spaniards as New Mexico, (unexplored land of the Mexican people), or the land of Cibola, meaning buffalo cow. To the Spaniards all native groups seemed to be one and the same to them.

The Anasazi, is a Navaho word meaning ancient ones. Many red people of New Mexico had long ceased being nomadic, by time the Europeans arrived. The ancient people witnessed the land turn from grassland to desert; and most, the Clovis people, left when the big game animals left. Not all left, and then others came. However, the very last terrible drought that permanently made the land what it is today, came about as late as 1545. �The buildings of mud, Pueblos: the Spaniards named the people who lived in these homes, Pueblos; however, they were not one Tribe, but many, who shared similar beliefs and customs. (The pit houses they used for storage or religious reasons, -- Kivas,-- are today, spread across New Mexico: almost everyone lives near one. Ancient pueblo apartments also still exist.) The Anasazi, a thousand years before the Spanish arrived, built roads, wells, dams, irrigating systems, ramps to get up into the high rise apartments. (Common food was corn, limas, beans, squash.)

1528, a Spanish group sailed from Cuba to Florida looking for riches. What they found instead were hostile natives and illness. 242 survivors built boats; they made it out of there, but only 15 men survived, as they made it to Galveston Bay. These people ended up being enslaved by the natives there. Ultimately in 1534, four members of this group escaped: Cabeza de Vaca, two others, and a Moorish Slave are the very first Europeans to waltz across Texas, -- across south Texas, all the way to El Paso, and then south into New Spain. They pretended to be �healers�, when they met up with natives along the way, --- who were poor, thus, de Vaca was well intended to let everyone in on the fact that this region is not worth the Spaniards time.

1540, and the Spaniards checked out today�s Arizona. No riches there, so they traveled east, and became the first white people to enter in today�s New Mexico. Coronado was the first to lead a group into New Mexico where they found 6 Zuni villages, homes of mud, not gold. While several groups were sent out here or there to investigate, no gold cities were to be found. Spaniards made themselves unwelcome visitors in a southern Tiquex village, [around today�s Bernalillo county], where they demanded food and blankets. The natives wanted them gone, so they revolted; however the Spaniards had guns, the natives did not; so the Spaniard�s destroyed two villages.

Coronado was supposed to convert, not kill the natives. He disobeyed this order; however, as with all expeditions, the Spaniards always had friars, priests, go with them, whose agenda was to convert the Indians.

Pecos Indians needed Coronado and his bunch gone. So El Turko, who was a Pawnee captive, and knew what was up, north, in today�s Kansas, lied to the Spaniards for the Pecos Indians, so that the Spaniards would go away. He played that north, in today�s Kansas, were more riches then they could ever carry home. The Wichita Indians in Kansas were actually planning on killing them all. Coronado found out about this planned attack in Kansas, so they killed El Turko. On their way there however, was the first waltz across the Panhandle of Texas by white people. Ultimately, Coronado would suggest that New Mexico was too cold, too poor, and in hospitable for the Spaniards even to bother with. 1542, friars went by themselves to New Mexico, and were killed by the natives. Forty years would pass before Spain would seriously bother with New Mexico again. 1582, after tales of finding silver in Arizona, Spain�s ruler, King Phillip, issued instructions to colonize land north of New Spain. Again, another big aim was to bring Christianity to the natives.

1598, and the first Spanish colony came to New Mexico: 400 men, 130 had a wife and children, 29 soldiers, 10 friars. Paid for and led by a fellow named Onate, he was in charge; and ultimately they settled near Pueblo Indian sites. A settlement called San Juan, and then also San Gabrial, -- both near the Rio Grande river. They lived near the Acoma Indians who lived in cliff dwellings. When Onate�s nephew came to the region on their way to look for a great northwest passageway, the Indians offered to trade with them if they came up into their dwellings. When they did go into the dwellings, the Spaniards were murdered. Onate revenged. The Indians who were not murdered, were put on trial, enslaved, males under 25 had half of one foot chopped off, and 60 native girls were sent to live in a convent, under the care of 12 priests.

The Spanish king wanted to cease colonizing; however, the Friar�s said they had converted 8000 Indians already. Meanwhile, today�s Texas was still being ignored by the Spaniards altogether. So, while San Antonio, Texas wasn�t even yet in their mind�s eye, the first appointed royal governor came to San Gabrial in 1610. He moved the city to today�s Santa Fe: 2010, is the 400th anniversary for this city; and all this is why Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in today�s United States, [the second to oldest city, -- the small town of Saint Augustine in Florida is the oldest]. He chose the location for Santa Fe, keeping in mind the Indians, who he wanted to be close enough to rule, yet, far enough to keep them away.

Just as Europe had two governments, because of the Holy Roman Empire, so it was in New Spain�s New World. There was a civil governor and the religious government in Santa Fe. Both were supposed to stay out of Pueblo Indian affairs; both did not. Civil government made the Indians work on their farms and pay taxes to the king, (with goods). The Franciscan Friars wanted full control. Disease killed many natives; Pueblo towns disappeared. Those that remained were under the jurisdiction of the Spanish governors and friars. And by 1670�s they dared to insist that the Indians cannot practice their own religion at all. The straw that broke the camels back is when the civil and religious governments ceased fighting with each other, [at one point, they were arresting each other even], and got together. 1675, Governor Trevino arrested 47 Pueblo priests for practicing their religion.

The American Red Tribes were not one, and often treated each other as if foreigners; so they fought among each other. This time was different; they came together. A San Juan Indian, name Pope`, instigated and led a revolt against the Spaniards. The natives ran the Spaniards out of New Mexico for 12 years. And then Comanche�s raided the Pueblos, to steal. So the Pueblo�s invited the Spaniards back.

1700. The Spaniards were already back in Santa Fe; and San Antonio, Texas still wasn�t even existing. Along the eastern Louisiana, Texas border, 1690, a Spanish mission had been built to educate the reasonably peaceful Indians, referred to as the Tejas, meaning ally. However, the French and Spaniards were having border disputes; so the Spaniard�s pulled out for 20 years. 1718, the Camino Real, the King�s highways were built in both Texas and New Mexico into New Spain, (in New Mexico, was once the longest highway in America). 1720�s, and the missions in San Antonio were finally built. 5 missions, including the famous Alamo, (Today, you can visit them all, and San Juan is the most impressive.) San Antonio de Bexar became the capital in 1773.

In Texas, civilization by 1800 was the town of Nacogdoches in east Texas, and then wilderness all the way to San Antonio. North of today�s Austin, the Comanche ruled the northern plains of Texas. As occurred in New Mexico, first friars traveled to these plains to make peace with the Comanche; and they were immedidately murdered. New Spain did not even bother to attempt to take this territory. In fact, it would be the settlers from the U.S. who would fight the Comanche, after Mexico gained her independence from Spain, in 1825. Meanwhile, the Spaniards would not tolerate any U.S. or foreign citizens, to come to any of their southwest territories, including of course, New Mexico and Texas.

1803, and the United States purchases Louisiana territory from the French. A few years later, Dr. James Long made history when he brought his wife to Nacogdoches with him. The Spaniard�s took Nacogdoches back from the U.S. settlers; Dr. Long fled with his wife Jane Long, pregnant, along with her slave, and her 5 year old daughter, to Jean Laffite�s pirate ship in Galveston; Dr. Long left his family there to go and help regain Goliad from the Spaniards. Jane, her 5 year old daughter, her slave (as in, maybe I don�t want to go to a wilderness place that has angry Comanche), Kiamatia, left the pirate ship, and now had to fend for themselves in the winter wilderness. Shooting at Indians, holed up, they faked they were a bigger entity then they were. She gave birth to her baby in this wilderness. This baby went down in history as the first known white baby to be born in Texas. Dr. Long never reappeared, and was presumed dead, in Mexico.

1825 came. The Mexican people won their independence from Spain; the Spanish went home; and New Spain became Mexico. Now it would be Mexico who ruled over the entire southwestern region of today�s United States. The Catholic Church in New Mexico was all but abandoned. And now, New Mexico would be split into districts referred to as prefects, who merely reported to the central government. 1835, Colonel Albino Perez` was appointed governor of New Mexico. He was not from New Mexico, and this bothered everybody, red, white people both. And he was conceited they say, no help. And then Mexico laid down taxes. And then an underground movement to oust the guy occurred. When Perez` arrested a New Mexican on bribery charges, is the excuse made for the Chimayo` Rebellion, which began in the Rio Arriba area north of Santa Fe. They marched into the jail, and forcibly freed the arrested man, Esteban. Ultimately, Perez� head was chopped off. They put in their own governor, a poor farmer, Jose` Gonzales. And then, coincidently around the very same time Texas won independence from Mexico, the Mexican government comes in and quells the rebellion. Ultimately again, Mexico allows Gonzales to keep his political position, as a compromise, so that the people of the Rio Arriba area will not rebel. The man from Mexico, who quelled the rebellion, Armijo, became governor of New Mexico for 8 years.

In New Mexico, trading would bring people from the United States. Although Trappers and business men from the U.S. were not allowed, they would come anyway. By 1810, a business man named Bent, built a fort that became a major trading center. After 1825, Mexico and its territory was ruled by a dictator. Mexico ruled until the United States fought the Mexican�s for the entire southwest territory, 1846 - 1848, Mexican - American War. After this, New Mexico was a territory of the U.S. Through out most of the 1800�s, coming to New Mexico from the U.S. was safe enough only if you avoided Apache territory; and this meant, you must come west through Santa Fe, and onward west south. New Mexico was isolated; and the old west mentality of the gun on your hip, and hostile natives, lingered on. As late as 1870�s, two local wars erupted, over competition and control, in both Lincoln and Colfax counties. New Mexico became a state of the United States in 1912. [Linclon county war also has the �Billy the Kid� story.]

After the Spaniards went home 1825, Texas became the Texas and Coahuila state of Mexico. 1836, after Texas fought Mexico, Texas became her very own country. [There was even an incident where a group from the country of Texas attempted to invade New Mexico, with intent to make Texas a country bigger. But this was quickly quelled. -- As western Texas still is not part of Texas.] Ten years would go by, before Texas became a state of the United States. Officially, Dec. 29, 1845. James Polk was president of the United States; and this new statehood of Texas gave the U.S. an excuse to fulfill their �Manifest Destiny�. As Mexico still considered the Texas coastline theirs, even after Texas became her own country. The city of Corpus Christi was never in the country of Texas, and at this time, was still not part of the State of Texas, but was part of Mexico instead; the boundary line was the Nueces River just north, and is actually within today�s northern city limits of Corpus Christi. This border dispute was the excuse that brought about the U.S. Mexican war. The U.S. won the war, and the entire southwestern territory all the way to California, became United States territory.

*Hurricane Dolly hit the Texas coastline, around Brownsville. The consequence for New Mexico was the biggest rains since 500 years ago. The land did turn into grasslands again; but only for a little while.

*Met a woman in the grocery store here in New Mexico. She felt this day to complain about the fact that Jane Long�s baby isn�t either the first white baby to be born in Texas.

Texas: An Album of History James L. Haley Doubleday Garden City, NY 1985

New Mexico Galvin A. Roberts and Susan A. Roberts University of New Mexico Press @2006 college textbook.
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