The 48th state admitted to the US was Arizona, on February 14th, 1912. The name Arizona comes from a Spanish word, "Arizonac", which is Native American for "small spring". Arizona is known as the "Grand Canyon State" because most of this iconic park is within the boundaries of the state. The state motto is Ditat Deus, which means "God Enriches" in Latin. This motto was coined by Richard Cunningham McCormick, the second governor and first secretary of the state, in reference to a Bible phrase in Genesis that tells the story about Abram the patriarch turning down help from the king of Sodom by saying that he will work with the blessings of God instead of receiving help. Arizona is known for their copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate - otherwise known as their "5 C's". These all have served to support the economy by providing jobs and money for the state. Arizona is also known for its desert Basin and Range in the southern parts that are filled with cactus. The Sonoran Desert in Arizona is the only place on the entire planet that can grow the Saguaro Cactus. There are also more species of rattlesnakes (13 different species) in the state than any other state. Lake Havasu City, Arizona is the hottest known city, reaching 128 degrees in 1994; and The London Bridge, which was designed by John Rennie in 1824, was moved to Arizona to attract tourists and residents to that town. Winslow, Arizona is the place to find the world's largest and best-preserved meteor crater, and was mentioned in the popular Eagles song, "Take It Easy". The state capitol is Phoenix, the state bird is the Cactus Wren, the state flower is the Saguaro Cactus Blossom, and the state tree is the Palo Verde.
The earliest evidence of humans in Arizona were from 13,000 years ago during the Paleo-Indian Period. Hunting sites associated with the Clovis Culture show that Columbian Mammoth, Bison, and Great Ground Sloths were hunted in herds for their meat as food and parts to make clothing, shelter, and hunting tools. The Hopi migrated to Arizona in the 12th century from Mexico and South/Central America. They settled on mesas in Northern Arizona and practiced dry farming, pottery, weaving, carving, and painting. Around 800-1000 years ago, the Navajo crossed the Bering Strait to the south. They were hunter and gatherers. These groups settled in the southern part of the state around 1700, and never moved north from there. Today, they are known fro their silver and turquoise silversmithing that they began in the mid-16th century. Other ancient tribes in the area included the Hohokam, Mogollon, Patayan, Sinagua, and the Ancestral Puebloans.
By the mid 1500's, the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Arizona and New Mexico. Fray Marcos de Niza was the earliest documented Spaniard to pass through Arizona in 1539. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado followed suit the next year, and was the first to see the Grand Canyon. From 1687 to 1692, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino led the Jesuits across the Arizona desert in order to convert the Indigenous people to Christianity. They were expelled from the Spanish territory in 1767. More and more European settlers arrived and began to butt heads with the Navajo and other tribes. They engaged in raids and stole livestock, food, and people who they held captive. In 1863, Colonel Kit Carson planned and executed a war against Native Americans in Arizona and New Mexico. He had them removed from the Four Corners area to the southeastern part of New Mexico. In 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain and this included Arizona at the time. In 1844, President James Polk promoted the Manifest Destiny which stated that the US was destined to occupy all of North America. That led to the Mexican-American War in 1846. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 where Spain gave parts of Arizona, parts of New Mexico, and many other states to the US. President James Buchanan bought the parts of Arizona and New Mexico that were available in 1854 with the Gadsden Purchase. The California Gold Rush attracted miners to Arizona, and the population kept growing. In 1864, the US Army tried to remove all of the Navajo from their homeland. More than 8500 people were forced out and walked 300 miles in two months to a reservation in New Mexico. Many died from starvation and exposure. In 1868, the Navajo singed the US-Navajo Treaty, establishing a reservation and allowing them to return to their homeland. This land was on Hopi lands, which cause more fighting and turmoil for the coming years. The US passed the Desert Land Act of 1877 that promised 640 acres of land to couples who were married and agreed to tend to the land. In the early 1900's, new residents arrived in Arizona to farm cotton. After WWII, the government set up military bases that helped to change Arizona's mining and agriculture. Arizona officially became a state on February 14th, 1912. It is known as the last coterminous US state to be admitted into the union because it is part of an unbroken block of territory with the other 47 states, plus the District of Columbia.
Today, Arizona is the home of 22 different federally recognized Indigenous tribes. They overcame forced cultural assimilation in boarding schools, environmental degradation of their land, and some ethnic cleansing in certain tribes. Now they have a Tribal Education Director and their schools are operated by the Bureau of Indian Education. All 22 Tribal communities in Arizona are different in culture, history, and much more, but they all welcome outside visitors and guests alike.
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