Overview

Born in Santa Fe in 1802, Donaciano Vigil was an active participant in many of the critical events in New Mexico's history in the nineteenth century. Vigil was witness to New Mexico's transition from a Spanish province (1802-1821) to a Mexican department (1821-1846) and eventually to an American territory (1846-1877), and he was a key player in most of the events of that era. As a Hispano soldier and officer in the New Mexico Militia, he was instrumental in the Navajo Wars, the Rio Arriba insurrection of 1837, the Texas invasion of 1841, and the American invasion of 1846. As a Mexican statesman in New Mexico, he was one of the most active assemblymen. Following the American occupation, he joined the civil government, first as secretary, then as governor. It was in these roles that Donaciano left an enduring impact and legacy on the territory. In this gripping biography of a remarkable man, Maurilio E. Vigil and Helene Boudreau fill the gap within the scholarship on Hispanics in nineteenth-century New Mexico.

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9780826363411

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Reviews

The volume presents the life of Donaciano Vigil and sheds valuable light on the Spanish settlement of New Mexico, the institutional character of Mexican New Mexico, the experience of New Mexico becoming a part of the United States, and early aspects of the American Territory of New Mexico.-- Phillip B. Gonzales, author of Poliitica: Nuevomexicanos and American Political Incorporation, 1821-1910

""The volume presents the life of Donaciano Vigil and sheds valuable light on the Spanish settlement of New Mexico, the institutional character of Mexican New Mexico, the experience of New Mexico becoming a part of the United States, and early aspects of the American Territory of New Mexico.""-- Phillip B. Gonzales, author of Poliítica: Nuevomexicanos and American Political Incorporation, 1821-1910

Author Information

Maurilio E. Vigil is a professor emeritus at New Mexico Highlands University. He is the author or coauthor of Hispanics in American Politics: The Search for Political Power, Hispanics in Congress: A Historical and Political Survey, New Mexico Government and Politics, and The Hispanics of New Mexico: Essays on History and Culture. Helene Boudreau teaches courses in history and political science at New Mexico Highlands University. Her scholarly research includes the political and historical study of charter schools in New Mexico and the sociological implications of prosecuting juveniles as adults.

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