| 1528 |
[Exploration and Conquest]
Expedition with Cabeza de Vaca lands on Florida's west coast and sets out to explore the interior in search of a passage to Tampico. |
| 1536 |
Cabeza de Vaca and Esteban are among four Spaniards to survive eight years in the interior of America. They arrive in Mexico City with stories of their survival and of large Indian communities in the interior. |
| 1539 |
Esteban is killed at Zuni and Fray Marcos returns to Mexico. |
| 1540 |
Coronado's conquest of New Mexico and the Seven Cities of Cibola begins.
|
| 1598 |
[Spanish Colonial Period]
Settlement begins in New Mexico under Juan de Onate as El Camino Real is established between El Paso del Norte and Santa Cruz, New Mexico. |
| 1680 |
Pueblo Indians revolt against Spanish in New Mexico. |
| 1692 |
Don Diego de Vargas reconquers the New Mexico territory with little resistance. |
| 1803 |
United States purchases Mississippi River drainage area from France, the Louisiana Purchase, moving its boundary west to Louisiana, Oklahoma and the Great Plains. |
| 1810 |
Mexico declares independence from Spain on the 16th of September, Diez y Seis de Septiembre, and expells Spanish church and civic officials from New Mexico.
|
| 1821 |
[Mexican Frontier Period]
Mexico wins independence from Spain and expells Spanish church and civic officials from New Mexico. |
| 1822 |
The Santa Fe Trail opens trade between the United States and New Mexico. |
| 1828 |
Mexico outlaws slavery, a major componant of the Anglo colonies in the Texas/Coahuila territory. |
| 1836 |
Texas General Sam Houston defeats and captures Mexican leader General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, winning independence for Texas on April 12 at the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou.
|
| 1848 |
[Territorial Period]
War between Mexico and the United States concludes with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which places the territories of New Mexico and California under control of the United States. |
| 1850 |
The New Mexico Territory is officially designated on September 9. |
| 1853 |
Gadsden Purchase expands southwestern United States to its present southern boundaries of New Mexico, Arizona and California. |
| 1861 |
Civil war battles are fought at Valverde on the Rio Grande and Glorieta Pass near Santa Fe, but the Texas Confederates are routed from the territory by 1862.
|
| 1912 |
[Statehood]
New Mexico becomes the 47th State on January 6th. |
| 1916 |
Columbus, New Mexico is attacked from the south by a force said to be commanded by General "Pancho" Villa, who sought revenge for U.S. support of General Corranza. |
| 1945 |
The U.S. Government tests the first atomic bomb at the Trinity Site in White Sands on July 16. Within one month, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are destroyed by atomic bombs on August 6 and 9, killing more than 115,000 people. |
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More coming soon. |
