We invite you to take time to explore these featured projects identified below. To view the project, click on its image.
No constitution no statehood, for New Mexico it was as simple as that. The procedures and requirements for United States Territories to gain admittance to the Union derive from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which was an act of the Congress operating under the Articles of Confederation of the United States that created a formally organized territory out of an area northwest of the Ohio River. According to the precedent established by the Enabling Act of 1802, Congress had to pass such an act before admission of a territory to statehood.
J. J. Bowden’s Private Land Claims of the Southwest
The Southwest was settled with Spanish subjects emigrating northward from the interior of Mexico contemporaneous with the colonization of the Atlantic seaboard by the English. A liberal land grant policy was necessary to induce emigrants to move to the hostile and arid frontiers of New Spain. Therefore, most of the desirable land had been appropriated under grants from the Spanish and Mexican governments by 1843. The United States was presented with a formidable challenge under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and Gadsden Treaty to investigate the claims presented to it and to confirm the valid ones. This study traces the history of the United States’ effort to solve this peculiarly complicated problem and the fulfillment of its solemn treaty obligations.
--J. J. Bowden
Tierra Amarilla Interactive Exhibit
The Tierra Amarilla Interactive Exhibit was created by several Highlands University Students, including: Happy Ghadiali, Jason Valdez, and Laurie Larimer.
Telling the Stories is a place to learn about the rich variety of cultural resources and services available to them from the Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as other state institutions, private organizations, and tribal communities. These include museums, libraries, archives, research collections, and historical and language preservation programs. To the extent possible, written, oral, and visual descriptive information about these resources and services will be represented in all of New Mexico’s native languages.
San Miguel del Vado Virtual Exhibit
The San Miguel del Bado Virtual Exhibit was created by several Highlands University Students, including: Mark Jacome Salazar, Andres Padilla, & Brenda Wagoner. The San Miguel del Vado Grant covered 315,000 acres. With the return of the Spaniards under De Vargas rule the area was mostly used for grazing sheep and some cattle.
Historic Las Vegas Interactive Site
The “Gateway to the Southwest” online exhibition was researched and developed by Andres Padilla for his Masters Degree at Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM. With this online exhibition, Andres generated an aspect of Las Vegas’ History for all audiences. The exhibit illustrates some of the most pivotal and historical moments in Las Vegas’ History from the original settlements of Las Vegas, to the ruthless murders, robbers, gamblers, and merchants. This exhibit doesn’t go fully in-depth in subjects or times, but yet tells a story with pictures and small facts about Las Vegas. By creating the “Gateway to the Southwest Story”, which can be viewed within the exhibit, readers can go into any historical period such as Early Las Vegas, the Santa Fe Trail boom, Pre-Railroad, Wild Wild West’s, or Glory Days and enjoy the dynamic learning experience that the exhibit has to offer.
When State Historian Rick Hendricks asked our readers, "What would you recommend as a good book about New Mexico?" the results were astounding, both in percentage of response (42%) and in quality and depth of books and authors.
This list will satisfy the most scholarly student of history and the dilettante equally.
The Abiquiu was created by several Highlands University Students, including: Rob Cole, Megda-lyn Freestone, and Jasmine Smith. The story of the Abiquiu Genizaro Land Grant is one full of rich history with many memories of times of struggle.