New Mexico Historical Review

New Mexico Historical Review
Title	New Mexico Historical Review
Discipline	History
Language	English
Abbreviation	NMHR
Publisher	University of New Mexico Press
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1926–present
Issn	0028-8904

New Mexico Historical Review The New Mexico Historical Review is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal devoted to the history of New Mexico and the broader American Southwest, with emphases on Native American histories, Spanish Empire legacies, and United States territorial development. Founded in the early 20th century amid institutional growth at the University of New Mexico and regional historical societies such as the New Mexico Historical Society, the Review has published scholarship on figures like Geronimo, Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, and events including the Mexican–American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and the Lincoln County War.

History and Founding

The Review was established in 1926 during a period of institutional consolidation that included the University of New Mexico, the New Mexico State Library, and regional museums such as the Museum of New Mexico; early editorial influence drew on historians associated with the American Historical Association, the Western History Association, and the Society of American Archivists. Initial editors and supporters included scholars connected to the Harvard University-trained tradition and regional figures active in the Santa Fe intellectual milieu, with contributions addressing colonial-era persons like Don Pedro de Peralta and events such as the Pueblo Revolt. Fundraising and patronage involved local elites, territorial politicians, and institutions such as the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression era.

Scope and Content

The journal covers a wide chronological span from precontact eras involving groups such as the Pueblo peoples, the Navajo Nation, and the Apache through colonial and republican eras involving the Spanish Empire, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the Mexican Republic, and the United States. Thematically it addresses biographies of figures including Tamaya (Santa Ana Pueblo), Don Diego de Vargas, and Manuel Armijo; military and diplomatic subjects like the Gadsden Purchase, Second Battle of Tucson, and the Taos Revolt; economic and social histories tied to routes such as the Santa Fe Trail and institutions like the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Review also engages with legal and constitutional matters involving the Territory of New Mexico, the Enabling Act of 1910, and landmark cases heard in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.

Editorial Leadership and Contributors

Editors and advisory board members have included faculty from the University of New Mexico, scholars affiliated with the New Mexico State University, curators from the New Mexico Museum of Art, and archivists from the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. Prominent contributors have ranged from specialists on Pueblo Revolt historiography to historians of the American Civil War in the Southwest, with articles by scholars linked to Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Arizona, Texas A&M University, and the Library of Congress. The Review has published work by noted historians of the region who have also written monographs on figures like Eusebio Kino, Juan Bautista de Anza, Charles Bent, and scholars of cultural studies associated with the Smithsonian Institution.

Publication and Distribution

Published quarterly by the University of New Mexico Press, the Review is distributed to libraries such as the New York Public Library, the British Library, and academic collections at the American Philosophical Society; it appears in card catalogues and indexes curated by the American Historical Review and abstracted in databases maintained by institutions like the JSTOR consortium and the HathiTrust Digital Library. Institutional subscriptions come from state agencies including the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, university libraries across the United States, and international research centers focusing on Latin American and Native American studies.

Impact and Reception

Scholars cite the Review in monographs and articles concerning the Southwest, the Rio Grande valley, and borderland studies involving the Mexico–United States border; its influence extends to public history projects at sites like Bandelier National Monument, Chimayó, and El Morro National Monument. Reviews and critiques have appeared in venues such as the Western Historical Quarterly, the Pacific Historical Review, and regional newspapers like the Albuquerque Journal and the Santa Fe New Mexican. The journal has shaped curricula at institutions including University of New Mexico School of Law courses on territorial law, and has informed exhibits at the New Mexico History Museum.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Noteworthy contributions have examined episodes such as the Taos Hum, the archaeology of Chaco Canyon, and biographies of Miguel Antonio Otero (first) and Miguel Antonio Otero (second), and have included special issues on topics like the Spanish Colonial period, Borderlands studies, and the centennials of statehood and territorial changes involving the Gadsden Purchase. Essays published in the Review have been reprinted in collected volumes on the American West and have influenced documentary projects produced by the Station KUNM and public broadcasters such as PBS.

Archival Access and Digitization

Back issues are held in archival collections at the University of New Mexico Libraries, the New Mexico State University Library, and the Library of Congress manuscripts division; digitization initiatives have partnered with repositories including the Digital Public Library of America, JSTOR, and statewide efforts coordinated by the New Mexico Consortium. Ongoing digitization supports searchable access for researchers investigating collections related to the Santa Fe Trail Association, the papers of territorial governors, and archival holdings from the Office of Indian Affairs and private collections donated to institutions like the Witter Bynner Foundation.

Category:American history journals Category:Publications established in 1926