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  #   Entered Union     Year Settled 47th          Jan. 6, 1912        1776  Nickname Land of Enchantment  Rank  Population 36th          1,984,356  Rank  Square Miles 5th      121,589  State Bird Roadrunner aka Greater Roadrunner  State Flower  State Tree  State Motto Crescit eundo It grows as it goes  In 1540, the Spanish conquistador Coronado trekked through the area known today as New Mexico in search of the fabled seven cities of gold. New Mexico, called the "Land of Enchantment," was the 47th state, entering the Union in 1912. Part of the "Old West," New Mexico was a place known for cowboys and cattle drives.  The influence of the Apache Indians who live there is evident in the artwork and culture. The Pueblo Indian presence is also very apparent, most visibly in the tribe's buildings. The state also has a large Hispanic population, as New Mexico was under Spanish control from the 16th century until about 1846. The capital city of Santa Fe, founded in 1610, has the oldest continually used seat of government in North America.  Father José Manuel Gallegos was an influential, popular, and controversial figure in the history of New Mexico. He was a man who cared deeply about both religion and politics. Born on October 30, 1815, in Nuevo México (New Mexico), Gallegos grew up during the Mexican revolution against Spain. He received his education from Franciscan missionaries. They not only taught him about God, but also they filled him with political ideals.  At the time of his birth, Nuevo México was part of Spanish colonial Mexico. By the time Nuevo México belonged to the United States, Gallegos was in his thirties and ready to put his political beliefs to use.  José Gallegos became a priest around the same time that the United States went to war with Mexico (the U.S.-Mexican War started in 1846). When the war ended in 1848, Nuevo México became the U.S. territory of New Mexico. Gallegos was elected to New Mexico's first Territorial Council in 1851.  That same year, Gallegos was suspended from the priesthood for refusing to accept the authority of a French religious superior. Gallegos now put increasing energy into his political life.  In 1853, José Gallegos became the second Hispanic U.S. representative in history. After he won a second term, his political opponent, Miguel A. Otero, convinced Congress that Gallegos had won only because Mexican citizens had illegally voted for him. Gallegos left Washington, but he did not leave politics.  During the Civil War, the Confederates took over Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gallegos, however, was a Union supporter, and he found a way to provide information and assistance to Union forces. In 1873, Gallegos returned to the U.S. House of Representatives, once more as a delegate from New Mexico. At the end of his term, he returned to Santa Fe, where he died in 1875.  Do you know what a pueblo (pronounced pway-blow) is?  It is an Indian community made up of a large cluster of buildings meant to house many families. Taos Pueblo is a Pueblo Indian community in New Mexico that is thought to be around 600 years old and is still used as a residence. The buildings' walls are made of adobe, or sun-dried mud brick, that is two-feet thick in some places. The roofs consist of cedar logs, mats, branches, grass, and adobe.  The pueblo's residents originally entered the building through small, low doors or climbed down ladders through rooftop entrances. These entryways would have forced invaders to stoop or climb in order to enter the building. The entrances became less necessary as threat of invasion decreased, and today the pueblo has many more large doors and windows. Today visitors may come to see the dwellings and watch ceremonies in order to learn about traditional Pueblo Indian life.  Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Every October, several hundred hot-air balloons fly through the air in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. More than a million people come to watch the event.  A balloon can fly in the air because hot air rises. To launch a hot-air balloon, the pilot first makes sure the basket is tied securely to the ground, so it doesn't suddenly fly off. Then the fabric of the balloon, or the envelope, is spread on the ground. A fan blows air into the envelope to help open it. As it opens, the pilot uses a propane (a kind of gas) burner to blow hot air into the envelope. The balloon then rises as it is inflated with the hot air until it is upright.  When the pilot gives a signal, the basket is untied, and there is lift-off. The pilot uses the propane burner to control how high or low the balloon flies. To go up, he or she turns up the burner to make the air in the envelope hotter. To go down, the pilot just lets the air cool down.  How Hot Springs, New Mexico, Became Truth or Consequences Can you guess how a town that used to be called Hot Springs got the unusual name of Truth or Consequences?  Ralph Edwards was the host of a radio show called "Truth or Consequences." It was the show's 10th anniversary in 1950, and he wanted to find a way to honor this event. So, Edwards offered to broadcast the show from any city that would change its name to Truth or Consequences. Some people in Hot Springs, in southwestern New Mexico, thought it was a good idea, so they held a special election and residents voted in favor of the name change.  On April 1, 1950, Ralph Edwards hosted his radio show, "Truth or Consequences" from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The town also held a big celebration. Every year since then, Edwards returned to Truth or Consequences to host the annual celebration, or fiesta, which is now named after him.  |
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