HISTORY. The first explorers of the region were Spanish. Cabeca de Vaca visited it in 1536, and Coronado (q.v.) hr 1540-42. Espejo wandered over much of it in 1582-83. In 1598 Juan de Ofiate conquered the inhabitants, who were Pueblo Indians, and not Aztecs, as often erroneously stated. Santa, Fe was founded between 1605 and 1616. The revolted about 1680, and kept their independence for ten years. The mines were worked and towns and missions were founded. This region became a province of Mexico when that country gained its independence of Spain in 1821. In June. 1846. Col. Stephen W. Kearny marched from Fort Leavenworth with a force composed of United States dragoons and Missouri volunteers, and oc cupied Santa Fe on August 18th. The whole Ter ritory was declared a part of the United States. ( See PRICE, STERLING.) The Territory of New Mexico formed a part of the Mexican cession by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 184S. The act of organization was passed September 9, 1850, and went into effect in larch, 1851. The original boundaries included that part of the territory of the United States north of the Mexican line,, west of Texas, east of Cali fornia, and south of 37', including, however, the territory north of 37° and south of the Arkansas River. III 1853 the Gadsden Purchase
(q.v.) was added and Arizona was set off in 1863. The portion north of 37° was added C'olo•ado in 1867. in 1850 a convention was held and a State constitution adopted, but the dread on the part of the North of another slave State prevented the admission of New- Mexico. Frequent efforts to secure admission have been made since. In 1894 Congress passed an enabling act, and in the Fifty-seventh Congress (1901-03) an act, of admission passed the House, but. did not reach a vote in the Senate. During the Civil War New :Mexico was invaded in December, 1861, by Texas 1:angers, who took possession of the Territory, but. were forced to retire in April, 1862, by regular troops under Colonel Canby and a regiment. of Colorado tolunteers. Since that time there have been Indian outbreaks, which have been suppressed with difficulty. The follow ing have been Governors of the Territory of New Mexico: