ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of New Mexico history

Okay kiddo, let me tell you all about the timeline of New Mexico history.

A long, long time ago, thousands of years before anyone had even heard of America, the land we now call New Mexico was home to lots of different Native American tribes. They had their own languages, cultures, and ways of life.

Fast-forward to the 16th century, when some Spanish explorers showed up. They were looking for gold and silver, and they wanted to spread their religion, Catholicism. So they started building missions and settlements.

For a while, New Mexico was ruled by the Spanish. But in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and New Mexico became part of Mexico.

Not too long after that, the United States took over New Mexico during a war with Mexico in 1846. This is when New Mexico became a US territory.

In 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state in the United States!

Throughout all this time, there have been many important events and people in New Mexico's history. For example, during World War II, Los Alamos in New Mexico was where the US government worked on building the first atomic bomb.

Today, New Mexico is home to many different cultures and people, and it has a rich history that is still being discovered and explored.