History of the American Southwest

The Puebloans, Navajos, and Apaches were all indigenous peoples who lived in the American Southwest before the arrival of Europeans.

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado was a Spanish explorer who led an expedition into the American Southwest in 1540-1542.

Santa Fe was founded in 1610 and served as the capital of the Spanish colony of New Mexico.

Nuevo México was a Mexican state that included the present-day states of New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Utah.

The United States acquired the American Southwest through a combination of the Mexican-American War, the Gadsden Purchase, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

The New Mexico Territory was created in 1850 and included the present-day states of New Mexico and Arizona.

Arizona and New Mexico became states in 1912.

The Central Arizona Project is a system of canals and pipelines that brings water from the Colorado River to central and southern Arizona.

Phoenix is the largest city in the American Southwest.

The Grand Canyon is the most popular tourist destination in the American Southwest.

The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States.

Los Angeles is the largest Hispanic population center in the United States.

Arizona State University is the largest university in the American Southwest.

The University of Arizona is the largest research university in the American Southwest.

Brigham Young University is the largest private university in the American Southwest.