For centuries, the only inhabitants of present-day Southwestern United States were native tribes. It was not until the 1500s that Spanish explorers came to the area. Over the next 300 years, change came at a fairly rapid pace. Study the tabs below to see how four different ethnic groups had an impact on this region.
Native Americans
Spaniards
Mexicans
American Settlers
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| A Hopi Indian man sits at the opening of a kiva, or religious chamber. |
Indigenous, or native, tribes have inhabited the present-day regions of New Mexico, South Colorado, Arizona, and northern Mexico for more than 12,000 years. Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo, and Zuni were the predominant tribes that made up the Southwestern Native Americans. Many of them lived in villages and farmed the land using centuries-old techniques. From the 1500s on, they lost much of their land and natural resources to Europeans who came to the area, beginning with Spanish settlers and then Anglo-Americans. Still, these native people have been able to retain much of their ancient cultures, aspects of which are still to be found in the area today.
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| San Felipe de Neri Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, constructed in 1703 |
Spanish explorers began arriving in the Southwest in the 1500s after having colonized present-day Mexico. Much of the attraction to the area for the early Spanish conquistadors was precious metals that were found in the area just north of Mexico. Over the next 300 years, the Spanish colonized some of the area that is the present-day Southwest, bringing their European ways and traditions, including religion, architecture, language, and other aspects of their culture. A blending of their culture with the indigenous tribes has resulted in the distinctive look and feel that is associated with the American Southwest.
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| 1827 map of Mexico |
Prior to its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico had been colonized by the Spanish. The Spaniards' influence had spread throughout the area. Most Mexicans who lived in the northern reaches of Mexico's holdings were there to enjoy some freedom from then-President Santa Anna's dictatorial regime. With independence from Spain, Mexico took over the Alta California Territory, which includes much of the present-day Southwest. This map shows Mexico's holdings in 1827. At the time, about 80,000 Mexicans resided there. Within 25 years, American settlers started immigrating to the area in large numbers. Mexico eventually was forced to give up this territory, but most Mexicans living there remained and became United States citizens.
![attribution: By Marine 69-71 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cms.accelerate-ed.com/image/edf406cd-b314-4cd8-b9c3-0095454a717f.jpg) |
| Pioneer cabin at Pioneer Living History museum in Phoenix, Arizona |
In the early 1800s, American settlers began making their way into the Southwest. First came fur trappers. Then after the Louisiana Purchase—the purchase of 828,000 square miles of land from France—the floodgates opened to westward migration. Many immigrants were lured by the California Gold Rush and the promise of free land. Others believed strongly in manifest destiny, the idea that European American culture was destined to spread across the continent. By the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the United States had gained control of the entire area that now makes up the American Southwest.
