New Mexico Land Grants

New Mexico Land Grants

By Catherine Jang

Land Grants Challenged

Land Grants created additional problems and violence in New Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had promised that the United States would honor all land grants awarded to New Mexicans during the Spanish and Mexican eras. By 1850, there were about 270 land grants, covering approximately 15 million square miles. However, many land grants were challenged and lost by the late 1800's.

The concepts of shared ownership and shared resources were uncommon to Americans and hard to defend in American courts.​

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

By 1850, there were about 270 land grants, covering

approximately ___ million square miles.

• 5

• 10

• 15

• 20

Multiple Select

Select the two reasons that Land Grants were difficult for Americans.

• Shared roads

• Shared resources

• Shared land

• Shared diseases

Boundary Disputes

​Land grant boundaries caused other problems. Boundaries made during the Spanish and Mexican periods were often unclear. A land grant could be bordered by a mountain, a river or some other natural feature.

Land grant documents were often lost or destroyed over the centuries. One US territorial governor accidentally destroyed many land grant documents. Some were never recovered. So some people lost everything because of someone's carelessness. ​

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Boundaries made during the ______ and ______ periods were often unclear.

• European, American

• Apache, Navajo

• Spanish, Mexican

• Ute, Arapaho

​In this position in Santa Rosa de Aviquiv, the fourth day of the month of June of the year One thousand eight hundred and eight, before me Juan Antonio Barela a politician and member of the Military forces appeared Joaquin Garcia and Gregorio Quintana. Mr. Garcia will segregate a piece of land located near the river, bordering north and west with the Canyon and to the east with land owned by Jose Antonio Salas, and to the north of the river land owned by the Martinez, said land was purchased by Gregorio Quintana for the price of four cows having recently brought forth offspring, four ox, twenty five (2.8 ft) of cloth and a mule. Mr. Garcia is satisfied with the payment and if the land is worth more than he was paid, he will relinquish all rights in his favor. Mr. Quintana is free to sell exchange, alienate the property as he sees fit.

​This document is a transcript of a land grant transferred from Joaquin Garcia to Gregorio Quintana in 1808. Read the translation and answer the questions.

​Answer the questions below using the above writing from Chapter 5 page 164. Use the textbook and any prior knowledge about land grants to complete the assignment.

​

1. Describe the piece of land being transferred. What payment did Mr. Garcia receive for the land?

2. Why might the location of the land be difficult to pinpoint on a map?

3. What can you conclude about why land grants were often challenged?

​The Questions are in your assignment. Download and complete.