Mexican Period Timeline in New Mexico
August 24, 1821 - February 2, 1848
1821, August 24 - Mexico won independence from Spain, but the news did not reach Santa Fe until December when all local government officials swore allegiance to Mexico.
1821, November 13 - the Santa Fe Trail was opened from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe by trader William Becknell (he actually left from Franklin, Missouri). He was met by don Pedro Ignacio Gallego (alcalde of Abiquiu who on orders from the New Mexico governor, Facundo Melgares was to find raiding Navajos and Comanches). He had 146 troops, 125 additional Spanish troops gained along the way and several hundred pueblo Indians. They met at Puertocito de la Piedra Lumbre (a small gap in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains known today as Kearny Gap about one mile south of Las Vegas, NM). They had to use French to communicate. The Americans were taken to the small village of San Miguel de Bado where a Frenchman lived who also spoke Spanish. Two of the traders with Becknell could also speak French. His investment of $300 in trading goods had returned approximately $6000 in silver coins. On his second trip his $3,000 load of goods made $91,000. By 1824 the Santa Fe market was saturated and goods had to be transported to Chihuahua City, Mexico via the Chihuahua Trail.
The 900 mile Santa Fe Trail was a major route between the United States and New Mexico until it was replaced by the railroad on February 9, 1880 (The stagecoach line serving between Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe until 1880 took two weeks travel time. Before that time it took covered wagons over two months to make the trip.) It had two branches the Mountain Branch and the Cimarron Cutoff.
Note: Fur trade began with beaver and buffalo. It declined in the 1880's. In 1826 Kit Carson was in the Taos fur trade. Although the Oregon Trail was used by fur traders and trappers between 1811 and 1840, it wasn't until the "Great Migration of 1843" that it was used by wagon trains of settlers from the East to the Willamette Valley in California.
Synopsis of Western travel 1821-1880
1822 - General Augustin de Iturbide, one of the leaders of the revolution against Spain crowned himself as Emperor of Mexico in Mexico City, but was removed by revolution a year later. This was to be the state of affairs in Mexico for the whole of the Mexican Period. Civil wars, threats of foreign invasion and constant changes of administration within Mexico resulted in neglect of its dependencies including New Mexico. (There was a crown on the eagle's head on the official flag of Mexico from 1821-1823.)
1828 - First major gold discovery in western U. S. made in Ortiz Mountains south of Santa Fe.
1829-30 - The Old Spanish Trail was a 700 mile route linking New Mexico to California, combining information from many explorers, it was opened when Santa Fe merchant Antonio Armijo led a trade party of 60 men and 100 mules to Los Angeles, California in 86 days. The trail saw extensive use by pack trains from about 1830 until the mid-1850s.
1836 - The Republic of Texas was formed with the Rio Grande River as the western boundary.
1836 - The first use of the Oregon Trail.
1837 - Northern New Mexicans staged a full-fledged revolt, mainly in the Chimayó area, against the Mexican government in protest of the imposition of an unwelcomed governor, unfair taxation and poor military protection.
1841, June - Texans starting from a rendezvous on Brushy Creek twelve miles north of Austin, Texas began a Santa Fe expedition to take New Mexico for Texas with a total of 321 men. Governor Manuel Armijo was cognizant of the expansionist intentions of the Republic of Texas and had been in close touch with authorities in Mexico who gave him material aid in order to resist the invasion. The main party of the expedition surrendered on October 5 near Tucumcari. They were first marched to San Miguel, and then to El Paso then to Mexico City. Most of the prisoners ended up in the fortress at Veracruz. In April 1842 after pressure from Waddy Thompson, the United States minister in Mexico, the Mexican government released most of them and they returned to Texas. One prisoner who was not released was José Antonio Navarro. As a Mexican citizen he was charged with treason and sentenced to death. However, he was able to escape and return to Texas.
1846 to 1848 - Mexican-American War (American Intervention in Mexico)
1848, Feb. 2 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico lost almost half of its territory, including parts of present-day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.