"Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish explorer searching for gold, traveled the region that became New Mexico in 1540–1542. 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.
"The U.S. acquired most of New Mexico in 1848, as a result of the Mexican War, and the remainder in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase." -
infoplease.com----------------
1536 – Cabeza de Vaca, Estevan the Moor and two others reach Culiacan, Mexico, after possibly crossing what is now southern New Mexico, and begin rumors of the Seven Cities of Cibola.
1540-42 – Francisco Vásquez de Coronado explores area from Gulf of California to present day Kansas, discovers the Grand Canyon.
1580-81 – Fray Agustin Rodriguez leads expedition to New Mexico; four members of the party killed by Indians.
1582-83 – Fray Bernadino Beltran and Fray Antonio de Espejo lead expedition to New Mexico to search for survivors of the ill-fated Rodriguez mission.
1598 – Juan de Oñate establishes the first Spanish capital of San Juan de los Caballeros at the Tewa village of Ohke north of present day Española.
1599 – Battle at Acoma between Indians and Spaniards; seeds of Pueblo Revolt sown.
1600 – San Gabriel, second capital of New Mexico, is founded at the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Chama River.
1601 – Mass desertion of San Gabriel by colonists; new recruits from Spain and Mexico sent to reinforce colony.
1605 – Oñate expedition to the Colorado River; visits El Morro, leaves message on Inscription Rock.
1608 – Oñate removed as governor and sent to Mexico City to be tried for mistreatment of the Indians and abuse of power. Decision made by Spanish Crown to continue settlement of New Mexico as a royal province.
1609-10 – Governor Pedro de Peralta establishes a new capital at Santa Fe. Construction begins on the Palace of the Governors. Gaspar de Villagra publishes epic history on the founding of New Mexico, the first book printed about any area in the modern United States.
1626 – Spanish Inquisition established in New Mexico.
1821 – Mexico declares independence from Spain.
1841 – Texas soldiers invade New Mexico and claim all land east of the Rio Grande. Efforts thwarted by Governor Manuel Armijo.
1846 – Mexican-American War begins. Stephen Watts Kearny annexes New Mexico to the United States.
1847 – Taos Rebellion against the U.S. military. Governor Charles Bent killed.
1848 – Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War.
1850 – New Mexico (which included present-day Arizona, southern Colorado, southern Utah and southern Nevada) is designated a territory, but denied statehood.
1861 – Confederates invade New Mexico from Texas. The Confederate Territory of Arizona is declared with the capital at La Mesilla. Territory of Colorado is created. New Mexico loses extreme northern-most section to the new territory.
1862 – Battles of Velvarde and Glorieta Pass fought, ends Confederate occupation of New Mexico.
1863 – New Mexico is partitioned in half; Territory of Arizona is created.
1906 – People of New Mexico and Arizona vote on issue of Joint Statehood, New Mexico voting in favor and Arizona against.
1910 – New Mexico Constitution drafted in preparation for statehood.
1912 – New Mexico admitted to the Union as the 47th state.
1916 – Pancho Villa raids Columbus, New Mexico.
1947 – UFO allegedly crashes between Roswell and Corona; believers claim U.S. government institutes massive cover-up of the incident.
1948 – American Indians win the right to vote in state elections.
1957 – Buddy Holly records Peggy Sue at Norman Petty Studio in Clovis. -
NewMexicoCulturalNet.orgRather than New Mexico being "Manufactured from US States," the states were taken fron New Mexico. (see 1861 and 1863)
