Politics (from Greek politikos “of, for, or relating to citizens”) as a term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the corporate, academic, and religious segments of society. It consists of “social relations involving authority or power” and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.[1]
Modern political discourse focuses on democracy and the relationship between people and politics. It is thought of as the way we “choose government officials and make decisions about public policy”.
By Rick Hendricks Francisco Antonio Marín del Valle became governor of the province of New Mexico in 1754 and remained in office until 1760. Before departing México City to take up the governorship, Marín del Valle executed a series of documents, one of which was an obligation to repay…
By Michael Ann Sullivan On October 27, 1937, the Santa Fe Maternal Health Center (SFMHC) opened under the auspices of Margaret Sanger and the New York Clinical Research Bureau. Florence Davenport, Faith Meem, and several other prominent Santa Fe women had invited Sanger to tea the previous summer to…
By William H. Wroth In 1855 New Mexico territorial governor David Meriwether made treaties with, among other tribes, both the Mescalero Apaches and the Navajos. Although the U.S. Congress did not ratify these treaties, they served to inaugurate a brief period of peaceable relations between the United States and…
Albuquerque's 20th century suburban growth by David Kammer From its inception as a railroad town in 1880, Albuquerque has undergone continuous growth. During its first two decades much of that growth occurred within the 3.1 square miles of the original town site, with the earliest residential sections appearing on…
Governor Francisco Martínez de Baeza, 1634-1637 By Rick Hendricks Not much is known about the early life of Francisco Martínez de Baeza, although it seems probable that he was from the city of Seville. He departed Mexico City on 4 July 1634 and arrived in New Mexico in late…
Governor Juan de Eulate, 1618-1625: Another Look By Rick Hendricks In the opinion of most historians, Governor Juan de Eulate is best described in a quote from France V. Scholes, whom John L. Kessell considered the historian who knew Eulate best: was "a petulant, tactless, irreverent soldier whose…
Governor Mateo Antonio de Mendoza Díaz de Arce, 1760 By Rick Hendricks Mateo Antonio de Mendoza Díaz de Arce was baptized on 28 September 1696 in Burgos. His parents were Francisco Mendoza y Martínez de Fuidio and Teresa Díaz de Arce y Maeda. The casa solar of the Díaz…
4 1 1827 By Rick Hendricks David Virdin Whiting was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on 1 April 1827 to Joseph P. Whiting and Sarah C. Virdin. He is best known…
9 11 1640 Governor Domingo Jironza Pétriz de Cruzate, 1683-1686, 1689-1691 By Rick Hendricks Some of the precise details of the early life of Domingo Jironza Pétriz de Cruzate are murky. He appears to have been baptized in Hecho in the Spanish province of Huesca in the Kingdom of…
By Rick Hendricks, Ph.D. New Mexico State Historian At present, little is known of the origins of Antonio de Otermín, although some information exists about the family. The House of Otermín was based in the Consejo of Gaintza, municipality of Araitz in the Basque province of Navarre. The community…
