MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS: CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS,, 1850-1910
Sub-Series
Scope and Contents
On August 18, 1846, Brigadier-General Stephen Watts Kearny at the head of the Army of the West officially took possession of the Department of New Mexico and occupied the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe. Kearny, in accordance with his instructions from the Secretary of War, officially proclaimed territorial status for the region, and declared the inhabitants to be citizens of the United States. On September 22 he appointed civil officers for the new "Territory," headed by Charles Bent of Taos as Governor. Congress, however, later disavowed this action. Following the assassination of Governor Bent on January 19, 1847, New Mexico was administered by both a civil and military governor until 1848. Military jurisdiction continued until September 9, 1850 when Congress officially created the Territory of New Mexico in the so-called Compromise of 1850. In the meantime, a constitutional convention in the summer of 1850 had adopted a plan of government for statehood, but this action was nullified with the congressional territorial bill of September 9. From 1850 to January 6, 1912, when New Mexico was admitted as the 47th State of the Union, various attempts were made to secure statehood. Records in this series consist of the official documents in the custody of the Secretary of the Territory concerning constitutional conventions during these years.
Dates
- 1850-1910
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English.
Access Restrictions
Access to original territorial materials restricted; Use microfilm only (Territorial Archives of New Mexico).
Extent
From the Collection: 500 Linear Feet
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives Repository