Land grants in New Mexico facts for kids
Long ago, the Spanish and later the Mexican governments wanted people to settle in the area known as New Mexico. To encourage this, they gave out large pieces of land called land grants. Many of these grants became big farms or ranches, where people raised cattle and sheep. The owners of these ranches often lived like important landowners in Spain. Their workers included Native Americans, some of whom learned to speak Spanish and ride horses.
Spain gave out only a few land grants. Most of them were given by Mexico after 1821, when Mexico became independent. These land grants created patterns of land use that you can still see in New Mexico today.
Land grants were given to both individuals and groups of people during the Spanish time (1598–1821) and the Mexican time (1821–1846) in New Mexico. Sadly, almost all the Spanish records of land grants made before the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 were destroyed during the revolt. This means historians are usually only sure about grants made after the Spanish Reconquest of New Mexico in 1693. There were two main types of land grants: private grants given to single people, and communal grants given to groups to start new towns. Communal land grants were also given to Pueblos for the land they already lived on.
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Land Grants in Spanish and Mexican Times
During the time of Spanish rule (1769–1821), land grants were like special permissions from the Spanish king. These permissions allowed people to settle on certain areas of land and let their animals graze there. However, the king still officially owned the land.
After Mexico became independent in 1821, the Mexican government continued to give out land grants. These grants were important for developing the region and encouraging more people to move there.
Famous New Mexico Land Grants
Many important land grants helped shape the towns and cities we know today. Here are a few examples:
Alameda Land Grant
The Alameda Land Grant was located on the west side of the Rio Grande river. Today, parts of it are in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. This huge piece of land, about 89,000 acres (360 square kilometers), was given by King Philip IV of Spain in 1710 to Francisco Montes Vigil. He later sold it to Captain Juan Gonzales.
In 1929, Albert F. Black bought about 20,500 acres (83 square kilometers) of this land and started the Seven Bar Ranch. His family built an adobe house and, in 1947, a small airport called "Alameda Airport." As cities grew around it, the Black family sold much of the ranch for new homes. The Alameda Airport closed in 1986 to make way for a large mall project.
Elena Gallegos Land Grant
The Elena Gallegos Land Grant was created in 1694 for Diego Montoya, though people might have lived there even before the Pueblo Revolt. In 1712, the grant was given again to Elena Gallegos. This land stretched from the top of the Sandia Mountains all the way to the Rio Grande.
Elena Gallegos's family later divided the approximately 70,000-acre (283 square kilometers) plot into smaller pieces. When American officials looked at the grant in 1893, they treated it as a communal land grant, meaning it belonged to a group of people. Much of northern Albuquerque is now built on this former land grant. There is also a large open space preserve named after the grant.
San Miguel del Vado Land Grant
The San Miguel del Vado Land Grant was originally about 350,000 acres (1,416 square kilometers) in the Pecos River valley. This grant played a part in the decline of the Pecos Pueblo, which was once a leading Pueblo. Over time, the last families left their land and moved to Jemez Pueblo. More people moving into the area and military protection also led to other land grants being created nearby, like the Las Vegas Land Grant.
Land Grants in the United States Era
After New Mexico became part of the United States, the U.S. government did not have a clear way to fully recognize these land grants for over a hundred years. This was despite a promise made in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war between Mexico and the U.S.
A well-known historical event happened in 1967 when Reies Tijerina led a protest at the Tierra Amarilla courthouse. He was protesting the problems and unfairness related to the land grants.
