Cathy Williams or William Cathay? Source: St. Louis Daily Times, January 2, 1876 "My Father was a freeman, but my mother a slave, belonging to William Johnson, a wealthy farmer who lived at the time I was born near Independence, Jackson county, Missouri. While I was a small girl…
By Robert Torrez New Mexico's history began long before the first Europeans set foot in the Americas. In fact, New Mexico's unique environment, which contains six of the world's seven life zones, first attracted human beings and then persuaded them to remain in this area over 12,000 years ago….
by Robert Torrez Less than two generations after Christopher Columbus set foot on the shores of an obscure Caribbean island and claimed this New World for the Spanish kingdoms of Leon and Castille, Spanish conquistadores such as Hernando Cortes and Francisco Pizarro had conquered Mexico, Peru, and much of…
Senator Dennis Chavez and J. C. Morgan The moment he clasped the firm handshake and locked eyes with the intense and confident gaze of the stocky, bowlegged Navajo in the three-piece suit, Senator Dennis Chavez sensed that this man was the connection he had been looking for. It was…
When driving around New Mexico in the fall, perhaps one of the most welcome sights is the big roasters spinning green chile. New Mexicans relish the smoky chile scent in the air and look forward to their enchiladas smothered in red or green chile. Moreover, many New Mexicans and…
By Miguél A. Torrez The years following the 1846 Mexican-American War brought New Mexicans adversity through the loss of land and political exploitation by Anglo Americans. Many struggled to adapt to American ways. For others, it proved extremely challenging. The descendants of Nicolas de Espinosa were a Nuevomexicano family…
By Linda Aldrich In 1942, when the WWII Manhattan Project took over the Los Alamos Ranch School and adjoining ranches and homesteads on the Pajarito Plateau, the Corps of Engineers was responsible for setting up and operating the town of Los Alamos and the Project facilities. The University of…
By Mark Thompson As the comprehensive bibliography in the Rio Grande Historical Collection of the New Mexico State University Archives shows, the 19th Century Shalam religious colony near Doña Ana is the subject of many fascinating stories. Less often told, perhaps, is the story of litigation involving the…
Trujillo, Miguel H. New Mexico Indian Civil Rights Pioneer By Gordon Bronitsky It is rare that one individual can be singled out for playing a decisive role in history. In the struggle for civil rights, names like Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks have earned honored places. Another…
by Robert Torrez The 1700s were a period of extraordinary change for New Mexico. From the time New Mexico was settled by the Spanish in 1598, the colony was essentially a government-subsidized Franciscan mission for the Pueblo Indians. Following the Pueblo Revolt and Reconquest, the authority of the Church…
