Commerce and Consequences: Considering the Impact of Mexican Independence on Eastern New Mexico

Summary

While the struggle for Mexican independence was a relatively remote concern for colonists in New Mexico, its consequences were immediate and profound. After Mexico opened its northern border to trade with the United States, commerce between the two countries brought American merchants and merchandise to and through New Mexico, creating new economic opportunities for local residents and introducing numerous changes to their daily lives. These opportunities came with a cost; 25 years later, American merchants helped facilitate the U.S.  conquest of this province. Located at a major river crossing on the eastern margin of New Mexico, the small settlement of San Miguel del Vado quickly found itself at the center of the interactions between the newly-independent Mexico and the United States. Drawing upon material evidence from San Miguel, this paper considers how commerce and conflict between these two nations altered the organization and practice of daily life within the community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• Colonialism’s End? The archaeological consequences of the Grito de Dolores

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 587