NM Chapter Questions (Full Textbook) with Verified Solutions

NM Chapter Questions (Full Textbook) with Verified Solutions List 5 main reasons why it took NM so long to become a state. 1. Ignorance about the territory and unfair suspicion about its citizens (largely Indian and Hispanic population) 2. Territorial politics- corruption over government and economy (Santa Fe Ring) 3. National politics- other issues had higher priority's for the country. 4. Native American wars were costly and long, gave the territory a bad image- dominated by "primitive" population 5. Territory image as the "Wild West-" lawless, irresponsible, and violent. Perpetuated by Killy the Bid and other outlaws Explain how the so-called Revolt of 1847 hurt NM's chances of becoming a state. the Revolt of 1847 was used as proof that New Mexicans could not be trusted as loyal American citizens, and this perception lingered throughout New Mexico's prolonged fight for statehood. Explain how political corruption and the Santa Fe Ring hurt NM's chances of becoming a state. Political corruption and the Santa Fe Ring caused leaders in other parts of the country to criticize New Mexico and did everything in their power to prevent NM from reaching statehood. Explain how national political issues like slavery hurt NM's chances of becoming a state. National issues that had little to do with New Mexico took priority over statehood at key moments, often delaying New Mexico's goal of statehood for years at a time. Explain how the Indian wars hurt NM's chances of becoming a state. Indian wars were costly and long, and perpetuated the territory's image as a place dominated by a largely violent, "primitive" population. Explain how crime and lawlessness hurt NM's chances of becoming a state. When Easterners read about New Mexico in newspapers, magazines, and novels, they usually read of notorious outlaws like Billy the Kid- hardly responsible, law-abiding citizens of a potential state. Explain how NM was eventually seen as less "foreign" and how this change in perception helped the territory become a state. New Mexico's image as a foreign distant region of the US began to change with the coming of the railroad to territory in 1880. -The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad tied New Mexico to the rest of the country with faster vastly improved transportation and communication. -Americanos moved to New Mexico by train, often imposing Anglo culture, values, religion, and language on the territory. -New Mexico proved its loyalty to the country in the Spanish-American War of 1898. Governor Miguel A. Otero gave speeches about how New Mexicans were proud Americans and that their loyalty should not be questioned. Explain how the coming of the railroad helped NM become a state. New Mexico's image as a foreign distant region of the US began to change with the coming of the railroad to territory in 1880. -The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad tied New Mexico to the rest of the country with faster vastly improved transportation and communication travelers from outside of the territory began to learn more about New Mexico and its value as a potential state. -Americanos moved to New Mexico by train, often imposing Anglo culture, values, religion, and language on the territory. These changes gradually impressed those who had previously thought New Mexico was too different from the rest of the nation to ever become a state. Explain how NM's political corruption was largely overcome, allowing NM to become a state. The issue of political corruption in New Mexico was largely overcome after 1900 with the decline of the once-dominant Santa Fe Ring because: -Most leaders had been exposed, had retired, or had passed on. Explain how national issues became less of an obstacle to NM's chances of becoming a state. National politics did not interfere with New Mexico's chances for statehood in the first decade of the twentieth century. Explain how the end of the Indian wars helped NM's chances of becoming a state. Indian wars were less of an obstacle to statehood by the beginning of the 20th century following Geronimo's surrender in 1886 and death in 1909. His confinement in Oklahoma and newspaper photos of his gradual aging reminded the public that this once-great warrior was no longer a threat to anyone in the Southwest. Explain how a decline of lawlessness helped NM's chances of becoming a state. Violence and lawlessness subsided by the early 20th century with improvements to the territory's legal system. Many outlaws were captured and punished, often in NM's first penitentiary in Santa Fe, which opened in 1885. Respect for the law increased, as reflected in a sharp decline in the numbers of lynchings, from 69 in the 1880s