ARIZONA

Arizona Statehood and Constitution



Arizona Statehood and Constitution

Introduction

Arizona is located at the south western region of united sates. Arizona is the 48th state of the contiguous states which achieved territorial position in 1912. It is recognized for its desert climate and mountain ranges. It has a rich history. People across countries came to explore the region, allured by its boundless treasures. The state went revolution and reforms which added a list of historical events into its account. The paper gives a brief account of the chronological history of Arizona. The constitution structure and amendment procedure is also discussed.

Part 1

The Pre-Territorial Period

Arizona has a rich ethnic diversity which rooted in a rich inheritance. Many Native American inhabited Arizona for hundreds of years. The indigenous tribes like cliff and pueblo claimed to be the descendants of the cliff dwellers. It has a significant Mexican and Spanish influence. The pre-territorial period is marked from 1000 BC. In mid 1500's the Spanish explorers expedited through Arizona in search of cities of gold (Gawronski, 2010). The impact of the expeditions is still observed in the culture of Arizona. Brief detail of Spanish and Mexican Arizona is given below.

The Spanish Period

The Spanish era began in 1528 BC. The Spanish did not have town by the late 17the century therefore, the colonists began entering the region. They were attracted by the silver and gold deposits around the Arizona mining camp. The explorers remained in Arizona for the search of treasure and became subsistence farmers. The Spanish Arizona had a subsistence economy. Their aim was the creation of wealth, which required ongoing investments. In 18th century, the inhabitants began expanding their territory northwards, but the Native Americans started raiding their villages and livestock (Leshy, 1993). A brief chronology of Spanish period is given below.

year

events

1536

Cabeza de vaca and his companions showed interest to explore Arizona.

1752

Tubac became the first European community in Arizona. It was established by the Spanish.

1774

The Spanish explorers Juan de, Anza explored the way to California, presently which is Arizona.

1810

Spanish troops campaigned against the Apache. War broke out in Arizona.

The Mexican Period

Mexico acquired independence from Spain in 1821. The prolonged revolution had destroyed the mining industry. As the city came across financial crisis, it started auctioning off land. Therefore, the people from American mountain began entering the region (Sheridan, 1995). As a result of auctions and the presence of foreign men, the state declared independence in 1836. The infiltration of the Americans caused wars which began weakening the Mexican power in lands closer to the United States. These wars continued till 1848, and ended as a result of a treaty which confirmed the annexation of California and New Mexico, which included Arizona to the Gila River (Smith, 2002). A brief chronology of Mexican Arizona is given below.

Years

Events

1821

Mexico gained independence from Spain and took most part of Arizona within its boundaries,

1846

A war broke out between Mexico and US army. Mexico lost control to the US forces,

1848

A treaty was signed which ended the ...