Today in History: New Mexico

map of New Mexican missions
Today in History–September 21–the Library of Congress features New Mexico. On this day in 1595, Don Juan de Oñate’s petition and contract for the conquest of New Mexico was presented to Luís de Velasco, the viceroy of Nueva Vizcaya. The petition was ultimately granted and Oñate’s expedition set out in 1598. A brutal leader, Oñate was later stripped of his position, fined, and banned in perpetuity from New Mexico. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to learn more about the culture and history of New Mexico through the review of primary sources.

New Mexico primary source set with Teacher’s Guide

New Mexico Folklife Project Collection

New Mexico images

New Mexico maps

New Mexico books & articles

New Mexico historical newspapers

New Mexico correspondence & manuscripts

New Mexico oral histories & songs

WPA Life Histories from New Mexico

New Mexico films & videos

New Mexico legislation

New Mexico Guide to Law Online

New Mexico Historic Sites web archive

New Mexico state government election web archive: 2004 and 2006

110th Anniversary of New Mexico Statehood In Custodia Legis March 3, 2022

New Mexico stories from America’s Library

Exploration & early settlement of the Southwest Parallel Histories (in English & Spanish)

More U.S. state primary source collections