Arizona's Early History
Early History
People have inhabited Arizona for over twelve thousand years! The first known inhbitants were Paleo Indians, came here in the north. Using weapons, like spears and rocks, they hunted bison, mammoths, and bears. Soon, animals became less abundant, so the Indians ate berries. For an unknown reason, Paleo Indians slowly died out.
The Anasazi becme more advanced, growing their own food, and making clay pots to store their food. They lived in cliff dwellings. In A.D. 300, the Hohokam traveled from Mexico to Arizona. They grew corn (maize) as food. They later grew squash, beans, and cotton. These tribes lived very peacefully until 1300, when a large drought occured. Since there wasn't much water to grow crops, many of them died. The survivers went to a water source.
Two Native Americans groups, the Pima and Papago, lived in southeastern Arizona by the time the first Europeans could settle. The tribes were descendants of the Hohokam and Mogollan. In 1539, Marcos de Niza traveled into Arizona and New Mexico in search of a wealthy cities that "were thought to be in the area. He claimed to have found the cities in a place called Cibola (in New Mexico). Legends had told that it was paved with streets of gold, but Marcos later went to Mexico.
In 1540, Marcos de Niza was a guide for Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men. They traveled to Arizona in the search for gold too, but when they found Cibola, it was a Native American village that had houses made of mud. Boy, were they unlucky!
In 1629, Roman Catholic priests (missionaries) built missions with a fort, church, and then some schools. Their goal was to convert the Hopi, but they worshipped spirits called kachinas. They didn't want to give their religion, so they fought and battled with them.
In the early 1700s, the Spanish settled in Arizona. When the Indians attacked, in 1752, they made the first presidio, or fort, to protect the settlers.
Arizona was a part of Mexico, ruled by Spain. However, Mexico wanted to be free from Spain. They fought and won the war for independence in 1821. The treaty in the end of the war gave the land which is now Arizona. As the number of American settlers, fur trappers, and traders increased, the United States government didn't want Mexico to control the large amount of land. They didn't want to give the land up, so the Mexican War (1846-1848) was over, Mexico gave their land to the U.S.
Now the United States controlled the northern part of Arizona. They also got areas of California, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. All that land! But the land wasn't over yet. The Gasden Purchase of 1853 helped them get the southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico for $10,000,000! All of Arizona was now the United States's land.
The Anasazi becme more advanced, growing their own food, and making clay pots to store their food. They lived in cliff dwellings. In A.D. 300, the Hohokam traveled from Mexico to Arizona. They grew corn (maize) as food. They later grew squash, beans, and cotton. These tribes lived very peacefully until 1300, when a large drought occured. Since there wasn't much water to grow crops, many of them died. The survivers went to a water source.
Two Native Americans groups, the Pima and Papago, lived in southeastern Arizona by the time the first Europeans could settle. The tribes were descendants of the Hohokam and Mogollan. In 1539, Marcos de Niza traveled into Arizona and New Mexico in search of a wealthy cities that "were thought to be in the area. He claimed to have found the cities in a place called Cibola (in New Mexico). Legends had told that it was paved with streets of gold, but Marcos later went to Mexico.
In 1540, Marcos de Niza was a guide for Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men. They traveled to Arizona in the search for gold too, but when they found Cibola, it was a Native American village that had houses made of mud. Boy, were they unlucky!
In 1629, Roman Catholic priests (missionaries) built missions with a fort, church, and then some schools. Their goal was to convert the Hopi, but they worshipped spirits called kachinas. They didn't want to give their religion, so they fought and battled with them.
In the early 1700s, the Spanish settled in Arizona. When the Indians attacked, in 1752, they made the first presidio, or fort, to protect the settlers.
Arizona was a part of Mexico, ruled by Spain. However, Mexico wanted to be free from Spain. They fought and won the war for independence in 1821. The treaty in the end of the war gave the land which is now Arizona. As the number of American settlers, fur trappers, and traders increased, the United States government didn't want Mexico to control the large amount of land. They didn't want to give the land up, so the Mexican War (1846-1848) was over, Mexico gave their land to the U.S.
Now the United States controlled the northern part of Arizona. They also got areas of California, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. All that land! But the land wasn't over yet. The Gasden Purchase of 1853 helped them get the southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico for $10,000,000! All of Arizona was now the United States's land.
Paleo Indians
The Anasazi
