AZ and New Mexico Combined Into One State (Phoenix, Tucson: buy, school)

[tijlover]

Just finished reading Thomas Sheridan's awesome Arizona History book, and when AZ and NM were still territories, prior to statehood, there was consideration given to combining NM and AZ into one state. In NM, they voted in favor of it, but in AZ they voted down the idea.

Really made me think about what would have happened if AZ had voted in favor of it. What a huge state that would have been created!!!

I'm wondering if AZ has ever regretted that decision? What would have been the benefits, if any?

[yukon]

I wonder if it would have worked? I'm in NM and it's like night and day the differences between NM and AZ, politically and socially.

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by yukon

I wonder if it would have worked? I'm in NM and it's like night and day the differences between NM and AZ, politically and socially.

I don't know about that. You have your Roswell Aliens and we have the Phoenix Lights Aliens, seems we're both on the same page...

[tijlover]

Excerpts from this mentioned book:

"In November, 1908, the 2 territories voted on the issue. New Mexico strongly supported join statehood by a margin of 26,195 to 14,735. Arizonians overwhelming renounced it by a vote of 16,265 to 3,131."

"The majority of NM's population was Hispanic, and an entrenched Hispanic oligarchy wielded considerable power. AZ, on the other hand, had fewer Hispanics, and they were practically disenfranchised except in a few strongholds like Tucson/Florence. As one senator from South Carolina proclaimed, AZ's opposition to join statehood was a cry of pure blooded white community against the domination of a mixed breed aggregation of citizens of NM, who are Spaniards, Indians, Greasers, Mexicans, and everything else."

"Organized labor shared this racist revulsion to join statehood and viewed individual statehood as a chance to prohibit 'alien' labor in AZ."

[infocyde]

There was also concern about Tucson and a port in Mexico adding a rebellion if war broke out. Plus AZ had gold and other minerals needed for war. Although before the civil war all of this was in the thought mix at the time. The feds hastily created a capital in Prescott and split the state into two...

[Champ le monstre du lac]

It would have been the 3rd largest state, and almost as big as Texas. I think these two states had a lot more in common when they were admitted to the union just around a century ago. After WWII settlement in AZ began what eventually became very palpable differences between the two states. If they were still combined, I suppose the eastern part would be more or less seen as the more sparsely populated part.

I think of AZ/NM to analogize the new south and old south, NM is still to some degree old school Southwest, AZ particularly around the Valley is the new Southwest.

Territorial population post civil war - 1870
New Mexico - 91,874
Arizona - 9,658

Population in 1920 - post statehood/admission to union
New Mexico - 360,350
Arizona - 334,162

Arizona surpassed New Mexico's population in the 1950 census
New Mexico - 681,187
Arizona - 748,587

Population in 2010
New Mexico - 2,059,000
Arizona - 6,392,000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico#Demographics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Arizona

[corydon]

10.000 in 1870.... Nice. But did Tombstone alone not hold more folks? I know the Chinese did not count, they had to do the work.. hhmmm, nothing changed.

OOPS.. sorry, it didn't exist than.

[teddyearp]

Had they been created as a joint state then, I am sure there would be plenty regretting it by now.

[jamies]

Yeah just what we need, more liberals and welfare cases.

And can you imagine... In NM you are only allowed to carry ONE concealed gun!

I was just in Taos, somebody please buy them a street sweeper!

[green_mariner]

From what I've seen and learned, New Mexico has its own charm, and I think New Mexico should stay its own state.