New Mexico & Las Gorras Blancas Flashcards

New Mexico Overview

• New Mexico remained uninvaded by Anglos due to its desert landscape lacking valuable resources.
• Initial settlement of New Mexico occurred in 1598.

Transportation Developments

• The Atchison-Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reached New Mexico in 1878, facilitating economic growth.

Cultural Identity

• New Mexico served as the largest and oldest Spanish settlement in the U.S., with a significant Latino population, larger than that in Texas or California at the onset of the Mexican-American War.
• Latinos maintained their culture through the Spanish language, traditions, and religion.

Leadership and Education

• Landholding families in New Mexico sent children to prestigious schools like Harvard, enabling them to hold leadership positions in the community.

Influential Figures

• Miguel Antonio Otero, a wealthy Hispano and lawyer educated in St. Louis, was elected as Delegate to the U.S. Congress and played a crucial role in the railroad expansion into northern New Mexico.

Economic and Social Changes

• The railroad connected New Mexico to economic centers in Kansas and Chicago, benefitting the elite but threatening other Mexicanos, who lived on communal lands.
• If land was not privately owned, it was considered "held in common" for communal use.

Cattle Ranching and Conflict

• The arrival of Anglo cattle ranchers coincided with the railroad, leading to tensions over common lands.
• Ranchers used barbed wire to restrict access to grazing land, igniting conflict expressed through the phrase "con el alambre vino el hambre" (the barbed wire brought hunger).

Resistance Movement

• In response to land loss, the Herrera brothers founded "Las Gorras Blancas," a resistance movement aimed at protecting land rights.
• The movement had approximately 1,100 members, who wore white hoods for anonymity and took direct action against encroaching ranchers.

Escalation of Tensions

• "Las Gorras Blancas" engaged in sabotage, destroying rail tracks and cutting barbed wire, leading to complaints from Anglo ranchers to the state governor.

Legal Proceedings and Impacts

• County Clerk Miguel Antonio Otero reported community protection issues and noted the injustices faced, documenting the fight for rights.
• In 1889, the Herrera brothers and 44 other members were arrested, but charges were later dismissed due to community sympathy.

Conclusion of Movement

• "Las Gorras Blancas" disbanded in 1891 following a decline in active resistance, but they left a lasting legacy of Latino resistance to injustice.
• The Las Vegas Grant decreased to merely a few thousand acres from its original half-million.

Political Legacy

• Juan Jose Herrera, leader of "Las Gorras Blancas," was later elected probate judge in San Miguel County, demonstrating continued political engagement.
• New Mexico has a notable Hispanic political participation compared to other southern states, showcasing strong community involvement.
• People of Mexican ancestry constitute the majority in New Mexico today, leading to differing experiences from Tejanos and Californianos.