New Mexico History

 
    Coronado explored New Mexico in 1540 but couldn't find any gold.  The Spanish explorer proved that the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola were Pueblo villages that had no wealth.

    The Santa Fe Trail opened a new trade route to New Mexico.  Trader William Becknell established it in 1821, when he brought the first goods to Santa Fe from Missouri.  Stagecoach service began in Independence, Mo., in 1849.

    Santa Fe was founded in 1607 by the Spanish colonists.  It is the oldest capital in the United States.

   
 
 

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