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84-456: The two league Rancho Los Medanos was granted in 1835 to Jose Antonio Mesa and Jose Miquel Garcia. Jose Antonio Mesa was the son of Corporal José Valerio Mesa who came to California with the Anza Expedition . Jose Antonio Mesa's son, Juan Prado Mesa, was the grantee of Rancho San Antonio . Mesa and Garcia sold the southern half of their rancho to Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson in 1849, and

168-537: A gunman shot congresswoman Gabby Giffords and 18 others at a gathering in Tucson. Giffords was critically wounded. The incident sparked national attention regarding incendiary political rhetoric. Three ships named USS Arizona have been christened in honor of the state, although only USS Arizona (BB-39) was so named after statehood was achieved. Arizona is in the Southwestern United States as one of

252-487: A presidio and Franciscan mission at each location. A more direct land route and further colonization were desired, especially at present-day San Francisco , which Portolá saw but was not able to colonize. By the time of Juan Bautista de Anza's expedition, three more missions had been established, including Mission San Antonio de Padua in the Salinas Valley . In 1772, Anza proposed an expedition to Alta California to

336-569: A punitive expedition against the Comanche group of Native Americans, who had been repeatedly raiding Taos during 1779. With his Ute and Apache Native American allies, and around 800 Spanish soldiers, Anza went north through the San Luis Valley , entering the Great Plains at what is now Manitou Springs, Colorado . Circling "El Capitan" (current day Pikes Peak), he surprised a small force of

420-521: A Japanese invasion of the U.S. West Coast (which in fact materialized in the Aleutian Islands Campaign in June 1942), from 1942 to 1945, persons of Japanese descent were forced to reside in internment camps built in the interior of the country. Many lost their homes and businesses. The camps were abolished after World War   II. The Phoenix-area POW camp site for Germans was purchased after

504-518: A Spanish Franciscan , became the first European to contact Native Americans. He explored parts of the present state and made contact with native inhabitants, probably the Sobaipuri . The expedition of Spanish explorer Coronado entered the area in 1540–1542 during its search for Cíbola . Few Spanish settlers migrated to Arizona. One of the first settlers in Arizona was José Romo de Vivar . Father Kino

588-520: A campaign against the Comanche on the eastern plains and by 1784 they were suing for peace. The last of the Comanche chiefs eventually acceded and a formal treaty was concluded on 28 February 1786 at Pecos Pueblo . This paved the way for traders and the development of the Comanchero trade. Juan Bautista de Anza remained as governor of Nuevo Mexico (New Mexico) until 1787 when he returned to Sonora . He

672-568: A channel over millions of years, and is about 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6 to 29 km) and attains a depth of more than 1 mile (1.6 km). Nearly two   billion years of the Earth 's history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of sediment as the Colorado Plateau uplifted. Arizona is home to one of

756-730: A divine hero to the Pima people of the Gila River Valley . It was probably considered – and rejected – for its sentimental value before Congress settled on the name "Arizona".) Brigham Young , leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City in Utah , sent Mormons to Arizona in the mid- to late 19th century. They founded Mesa , Snowflake , Heber , Safford , and other towns. They also settled in

840-403: A dry heat from 90 to 120 °F (32 to 49 °C), with occasional high temperatures exceeding 125 °F (52 °C) having been observed in the desert area. Arizona's all-time record high is 128 °F (53 °C) recorded at Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994, and July 5, 2007; the all-time record low of −40 °F (−40 °C) was recorded at Hawley Lake on January 7, 1971. Due to

924-568: A route from Santa Fe to Sonora, west of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro . His various local military expeditions against tribes defending their homelands were often successful, but the Quechan (Yuma) Native American tribe which he had established peace with earlier rebelled, and he fell out of favor with the military commander of the Northern Frontier, the frontier-general. In 1783 Anza led

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1008-841: A southern route along the Rio Altar ( Sonora y Sinaloa , New Spain), then paralleled the present-day Mexico–California border, crossing the Colorado River at its confluence with the Gila River . This was in the domain of the Yuma tribe, with which he established good relations. Anza reached Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , near the California coast, on March 22, 1774, and Monterey, California , Alta California's future capital (Alta California split from Las Californias 1804, creating Baja and Alta), on April 19. He returned to Tubac by late May 1774. This expedition

1092-654: A total metropolitan population of just over 4.7   million. The average high temperature in July, 106 °F (41 °C), is one of the highest of any metropolitan area in the United States, offset by an average January high temperature of 67 °F (19 °C), the basis of its winter appeal. Tucson , with a metro population of just over one   million, is the state's second-largest city. Located in Pima County , approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of Phoenix, it

1176-631: Is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States , sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado , New Mexico , and Utah . Its other neighboring states are Nevada to the northwest and California to the west. It also shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest. It is the 6th-largest and

1260-795: Is considered as relatively vulnerable to climate change, which can make six of Arizona`s 15 counties uninhabitable for humans by the years 2040-2060. This was the cautionary warning made by a December 2020 study released by ProPublica and Rhodium Group. Phoenix , in Maricopa County , is Arizona's capital and largest city. Other prominent cities in the Phoenix metro area include Mesa (Arizona's third largest city), Chandler (Arizona's fourth largest city), Glendale , Peoria , Buckeye , Sun City , Sun City West , Fountain Hills , Surprise , Gilbert , El Mirage , Avondale , Tempe , Tolleson and Scottsdale , with

1344-486: Is home to a diverse population. About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes , including the Navajo Nation , the largest in the state and the country, with more than 300,000 citizens. Since the 1980s, the proportion of Hispanics has grown significantly owing to migration from Mexico and Central America. A substantial portion of

1428-543: Is in Arizona. The Mogollon Rim ( / ˌmoʊ gəˈyoʊn / ), a 1,998-foot (609 m) escarpment , cuts across the state's central section and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. In 2002, this was an area of the Rodeo–Chediski Fire , the worst fire in state history until 2011. Located in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is a colorful, deep, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River . The canyon

1512-606: Is less well known for its pine-covered north-central portion of the high country of the Colorado Plateau (see Arizona Mountains forests ). Like other states of the Southwest United States, Arizona is marked by high mountains, the Colorado plateau, and mesas. Despite the state's aridity, 27% of Arizona is forest, a percentage comparable to modern-day Romania or Greece. The world's largest stand of ponderosa pine trees

1596-1120: Is located in Riverside, California at the corner of Magnolia Ave. and 14th Street, and another statue stands in Lake Merced park, San Francisco . A 10-foot-high (3 m) portrait of de Anza by Albert Herter in 1929 hangs in the History Room of the Los Angeles Central Library. The de Anza and De Anza spellings are also the namesake of streets, schools, and buildings in his honor including: De Anza Boulevards in San Mateo and Cupertino , De Anza Park in Sunnyvale , De Anza College in Cupertino, De Anza High School in Richmond , Juan Bautista De Anza elementary school in San Jacinto, Juan De Anza K-5 in

1680-769: Is located within the village of Borrego Springs, California , which is entirely surrounded by the park. A building named the Juan de Anza House in San Juan Bautista, California is a National Historic Landmark . However, it was constructed c. 1830 with its connection unclear. The Juan Bautista de Anza Community Park is in Calabasas, California , and De Anza Park and the De Anza Community and Teen Center are in Ontario , California. A 20-foot (6.1 m) statue of Anza, sculpted in 1939,

1764-565: Is marked as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail . Despite DeAnza's successes, Spanish ambitions to establish a permanent overland route from Sonora to Alta California were thwarted in 1781, when a revolt of the Yumas tribe closed the trail at the Yuma Crossing of the Colorado River. The route was not reopened until the late 1820s, and the only regular travel to Alta California during

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1848-641: Is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park  – one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of designating the Grand Canyon area as a National Park, often visiting to hunt mountain lion and enjoy the scenery. The canyon was created by the Colorado River cutting

1932-547: The 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix , which is the most populous state capital in the United States. Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of Alta California and Nuevo México in New Spain , it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in

2016-561: The Apache , during the course of which he explored much of what is now Arizona . The Spanish began colonizing Alta California with the Portolá expedition of 1769–1770. The two-pronged Portolá effort involved both a long sea voyage against prevailing winds and the California Current , and a difficult land route from Baja California. Colonies were established at San Diego and Monterey , with

2100-531: The Arizona Legislature enacted the Stupid Motorist Law . It is rare for tornadoes or hurricanes to occur in Arizona. Arizona's northern third is a plateau at significantly higher altitudes than the lower desert, and has an appreciably cooler climate, with cold winters and mild summers, though the climate remains semiarid to arid. Extremely low temperatures are not unknown; cold air systems from

2184-789: The Berkeley Hills , and Anza Avenue and Anza Elementary School in Torrance . The town of Anza, California , is a small town of 7,000 people on State Route 371 in the mountains south of Palm Springs . Also named in his honor is Juan Bautista Circle in the Parkmerced development in San Francisco. Arizona This is an accepted version of this page Arizona ( / ˌ ær ɪ ˈ z oʊ n ə / ARR -iz- OH -nə ; Navajo : Hoozdo Hahoodzo [hoː˥z̥to˩ ha˩hoː˩tso˩] ; O'odham : Alĭ ṣonak [ˈaɭi̥ ˈʂɔnak] )

2268-551: The Colorado Plateau ; mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains ); as well as large, deep canyons , with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff , Sunrise , and Tucson . In addition to the internationally known Grand Canyon National Park , which is one of the world's seven natural wonders , there are several national forests , national parks , and national monuments . Arizona

2352-479: The Four Corners states. Arizona is the sixth largest state by area , ranked after New Mexico and before Nevada . Of the state's 113,998 square miles (295,000 km ), approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and parkland, state trust land and Native American reservations. There are 24 National Park Service maintained sites in Arizona, including the three national parks of Grand Canyon National Park , Saguaro National Park , and

2436-454: The Kingdom of Spain and its Spanish Empire in 1821, what is now Arizona became part of its Territory of Nueva California , ("New California"), also known as Alta California ("Upper California"). Descendants of ethnic Spanish and mestizo settlers from the colonial years still lived in the area at the time of the arrival of later European-American migrants from the United States. During

2520-547: The Mexican–American War (1847–1848), the U.S. Army occupied the national capital of Mexico City and pursued its claim to much of northern Mexico, including what later became Arizona Territory in 1863 and later the State of Arizona in 1912. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) specified that, in addition to language and cultural rights of the existing inhabitants of former Mexican citizens being considered as inviolable,

2604-479: The Mexican–American War , Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848, where the area became part of the territory of New Mexico . The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase . Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir , and spruce trees;

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2688-512: The O'odham name alĭ ṣonak , meaning ' small spring ' . Initially this term was applied by Spanish colonists only to an area near the silver mining camp of Planchas de Plata, Sonora . To the European settlers, the O'odham pronunciation sounded like Arissona . The area is still known as alĭ ṣonak in the O'odham language. Another possible origin is the Basque phrase haritz ona '

2772-473: The Petrified Forest National Park . Arizona is well known for its desert Basin and Range region in the state's southern portions, which is rich in a landscape of xerophyte plants such as the cactus . This region's topography was shaped by prehistoric volcanism , followed by the cooling-off and related subsidence . Its climate has exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. The state

2856-597: The Phoenix Valley (or "Valley of the Sun"), Tempe , Prescott , and other areas. The Mormons settled what became northern Arizona and northern New Mexico. At the time these areas were in a part of the former New Mexico Territory . During the nineteenth century, a series of gold and silver rushes occurred in the territory, the best known being the 1870s stampede to the silver bonanzas of Tombstone, Arizona , in southeast Arizona, also known for its legendary outlaws and lawmen. By

2940-666: The San Gabriel Valley the trail is in the Puente Hills just north of Whittier, California . Also named for Anza is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park , located mostly in eastern San Diego County , California. The park contains a long and difficult stretch of the Anza trail, traveling west from the Imperial Valley to the coastal mountain passes northeast of San Diego . The de Anza Country Club and its 18-hole championship Golf course

3024-628: The Territory of New Mexico from 1850 until the southern part of that region seceded from the Union to form the Territory of Arizona . This newly established territory was formally organized by the federal government of the Confederate States on Saturday, January 18, 1862, when President Jefferson Davis approved and signed An Act to Organize the Territory of Arizona , marking the first official use of

3108-505: The Viceroy of New Spain. This was approved by the King of Spain and on January 8, 1774, with 3 padres, 20 soldiers, 11 servants, 35 mules, 65 cattle, and 140 horses, Anza set forth from Tubac Presidio , south of present-day Tucson, Arizona . Anza heard of a California Native American called Sebastian Tarabal who had fled from Mission San Gabriel to Sonora, and took him as guide. The expedition took

3192-604: The American occupation army force that landed in California in 1847. Stevenson and others laid out a site for a town they called "New York of the Pacific", and Rancho Los Medanos is sometimes known as the "New York Ranch". The name of the settlement was changed to Pittsburg in 1911. Stevenson sold the rancho to the San Francisco banking firm of Louis Pioche, who in turn sold it in 1872 to L. L. Robinson. Lester Ludyah Robinson (1828–1892)

3276-438: The Comanche near present-day Colorado Springs . Pursuing them south down Fountain Creek , he crossed the Arkansas River near present-day Pueblo, Colorado . He found the main body of the Comanche on Greenhorn Creek, returning from a raid in Nuevo México, and won a decisive victory. Chief Cuerno Verde , for whom Greenhorn Creek is named, and many other leaders of the Comanche were killed. In late 1779, Anza and his party found

3360-601: The Pacific Ocean during the winter and a monsoon in the summer. The monsoon season occurs toward the end of summer. In July or August, the dewpoint rises dramatically for a brief period. During this time, the air contains large amounts of water vapor . Dewpoints as high as 81   °F (27   °C) have been recorded during the Phoenix monsoon season. This hot moisture brings lightning , thunderstorms , wind, and torrential, if usually brief, downpours. These downpours often cause flash floods , which can turn deadly. In an attempt to deter drivers from crossing flooding streams,

3444-433: The Phoenix metropolitan area. Situated in pine tree forests at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,700 m), Prescott enjoys a much cooler climate than Phoenix, with average summer highs around 88 °F (31 °C) and winter temperatures averaging 50 °F (10 °C). Yuma is the center of the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Arizona. Located in Yuma County , it is near the borders of California and Mexico. It

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3528-418: The Presidio of Fronteras. His family was a part of the military leadership in Nueva España , as his father and maternal grandfather, Captain Antonio Bezerra Nieto, had both served Spain, their families living on the frontier of Nueva Navarra. He was the son of Juan Bautista de Anza I . It is traditionally thought that he may have been educated at the College of San Ildefonso in Mexico City , and later at

3612-500: The Spanish term Árida Zona ' Arid Zone ' is considered a case of folk etymology . For thousands of years before the modern era, Arizona was home to many ancient Native American civilizations. Hohokam , Mogollon , and Ancestral Puebloan cultures were among those that flourished throughout the state. Many of their pueblos, cliffside dwellings, rock paintings and other prehistoric treasures have survived and attract thousands of tourists each year. In 1539, Marcos de Niza ,

3696-534: The Wiseburn Elementary School District of Hawthorne , De Anza Middle School in Ontario , De Anza Middle School in Ventura , De Anza Elementary School in El Centro , and the De Anza School in Baldwin Park, the landmark De Anza Hotel in San Jose , and the historic De Anza Hotel in Calexico —all in California . Using just Anza in his honor are: Anza Vista Avenue within the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco, Anza Street in that city's Richmond District , Lake Anza in Tilden Regional Park above Berkeley in

3780-422: The captives among them as slaves; Anza kept the fifteen female captives and their newborns as his share. In Anza's diary on March 25, 1776, he states that he "arrived at the arroyo of San Joseph Cupertino (now Stevens Creek ), which is useful only for travelers. Here we halted for the night, having come eight leagues in seven and a half hours. From this place we have seen at our right the estuary which runs from

3864-480: The chance to take part in the flavor and activities of the "Old West". Several upscale hotels and resorts opened during this period, some of which are still top tourist draws. They include the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in central Phoenix (opened 1929) and the Wigwam Resort on the west side of the Phoenix area (opened 1936). Arizona was the site of German prisoner of war camps during World War   II and Japanese American internment camps . Because of wartime fears of

3948-478: The city in the Tucson Mountains , is the site of the world's largest collection of Saguaro cacti. The Prescott metropolitan area includes the cities of Prescott, Cottonwood , Camp Verde and many other towns in the 8,123 square miles (21,000 km ) of Yavapai County area. With 212,635 residents, this cluster of towns is the state's third largest metropolitan area. The city of Prescott (population 41,528) lies approximately 100 miles (160 km) northwest of

4032-482: The colonists having suffered greatly from the winter weather en route. The expedition continued on to Monterey with the colonists. Having fulfilled his mission from the Viceroy, he continued north with the priest Pedro Font and a party of twelve others, following an inland route to the San Francisco Bay established in 1770 by Pedro Fages . On the way, he led a raid on Apache settlements near Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac , capturing forty Apaches. The soldiers divided

4116-404: The good oak ' , as there were numerous Basque sheepherders in the area. A native-born Mexican of Basque ancestry established the ranchería ( small rural settlement ) of Arizona between 1734 and 1736 in the current Mexican state of Sonora . It became notable after a significant discovery of silver there around 1737. The misconception that the state's name purportedly originated from

4200-435: The intervening years was by sea. On his return from this successful expedition in 1777 he journeyed to Mexico City with the chief of the lower Colorado River area Quechan (Yuma) Native American tribe who requested the establishment of a mission. On August 24, 1777, the Viceroy of New Spain appointed Anza as the Governor of the Province of Nuevo México , the present-day U.S. state of New Mexico . Governor Anza led

4284-407: The land grants would be honored. A claim was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1853, and the grant was patented to Jonathan D. Stevenson et al. in 1872. A claim for Rancho Los Medanos filed in 1853 by James Enright, Michael Murphy, and Ellen Fallon, was rejected. Colonel Jonathan Drake Stevenson (1800–1894) was the commanding officer of the 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers , part of

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4368-401: The last engagement in the American Indian Wars , which lasted from 1775 to 1918. U.S. soldiers stationed on the border confronted Yaqui Indians who were using Arizona as a base to raid the nearby Mexican settlements, as part of their wars against Mexico. Arizona became a U.S. state on February 14, 1912, coinciding with Valentine's Day . Arizona was the 48th state admitted to the U.S. and

4452-431: The last of the contiguous states to be admitted. Cotton farming and copper mining, two of Arizona's most important statewide industries, suffered heavily during the Great Depression . But during the 1920s and even the 1930s, tourism began to develop as the important Arizonan industry it is today. Dude ranches, such as the K L Bar and Remuda in Wickenburg, along with the Flying V and Tanque Verde in Tucson, gave tourists

4536-401: The late 1880s, copper production eclipsed the precious metals with the rise of copper camps like Bisbee, Arizona , and Jerome, Arizona . The boom and bust economy of mining also left hundreds of ghost towns across the territory, but copper mining continued to prosper with the territory producing more copper than any other state by 1907, which earned Arizona the nickname "the Copper State" at

4620-418: The level of the surrounding plain. The crater itself is nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide and 570 feet (170 m) deep. Arizona is one of two U.S. states, along with Hawaii, that does not observe Daylight Saving Time , though the large Navajo Nation in the state's northeastern region does. Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of localized climate conditions. In

4704-518: The lower elevations the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters and extremely hot summers. Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of 60 °F (16 °C). November through February are the coldest months, with temperatures typically ranging from 40 to 75 °F (4 to 24 °C), with occasional frosts. About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise, with warm days, and cool, breezy nights. The summer months of June through September bring

4788-415: The military academy there. In 1752 he enlisted in the army at the Presidio of Fronteras. He advanced rapidly and had become a captain by 1760. He married in 1761. His wife was Ana María Pérez Serrano (b. January 1744/45, d. date unknown), the daughter of Spanish mine owner Francisco Pérez Serrano. They had no children. His military duties mainly consisted of hostile forays against Native Americans , such as

4872-405: The most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. Created around 50,000 years ago, the Barringer Meteorite Crater (better known simply as " Meteor Crater ") is a gigantic hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Winslow . A rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises 150 feet (46 m) above

4956-441: The name "Territory of Arizona". The Southern territory supplied the Confederate government with men, horses, and equipment. Formed in 1862, Arizona scout companies served with the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War . Arizona has the westernmost military engagement on record during the Civil War with the Battle of Picacho Pass (1862). The Federal government declared a new U.S. Arizona Territory, consisting of

5040-473: The needs of senior citizens and attracted many retirees who wanted to escape the harsh winters of the Midwest and the Northeast . Sun City , established by developer Del Webb and opened in 1960, was one of the first such communities. Green Valley , south of Tucson, was another such community, designed as a retirement subdivision for Arizona's teachers. Many senior citizens from across the United States and Canada come to Arizona each winter and stay only during

5124-425: The northern half to James Walsh, Michael Murray, and Ellen Fallon in 1850. There was confusion about the orientation of the grant, and in 1851 Stevenson arranged an exchange of deeds, whereby he got the west half of the rancho, and Walsh, Murray, and Fallon got the east half. With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War , the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that

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5208-442: The northern states and Canada occasionally push into the state, bringing temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) to the state's northern parts. Indicative of the variation in climate, Arizona is the state which has both the metropolitan area with the most days over 100 °F (38 °C) ( Phoenix ), and the metropolitan area in the lower 48 states with the most days with a low temperature below freezing ( Flagstaff ). Arizona

5292-429: The population are followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Arizona's population and economy have grown dramatically since the 1950s because of inward migration, and the state is now a major hub of the Sun Belt . Cities such as Phoenix and Tucson have developed large, sprawling suburban areas. Many large companies, such as PetSmart and Circle K , have headquarters in

5376-520: The port of San Francisco." Pressing on, Anza located the sites for the Presidio of San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Asis in present-day San Francisco, California on March 28, 1776. He did not establish the settlement; it was established later by José Joaquín Moraga . While returning to Monterey, he located the original sites for Mission Santa Clara de Asis and the town of San José de Guadalupe (present-day San Jose, California ), but again did not establish either settlement. Today this route

5460-496: The primarily dry climate, large diurnal temperature variations occur in less-developed areas of the desert above 2,500 ft (760 m). The swings can be as large as 83   °F (46   °C) in the summer months. In the state's urban centers, the effects of local warming result in much higher measured night-time lows than in the recent past. Arizona has an average annual rainfall of 12.7 in (323 mm), which comes during two rainy seasons, with cold fronts coming from

5544-526: The several armies fighting in Mexico. Only two significant engagements took place on U.S. soil between U.S. and Mexican forces: Pancho Villa 's 1916 Columbus Raid in New Mexico and the Battle of Ambos Nogales in 1918 in Arizona. After Mexican federal troops fired on U.S. soldiers, the American garrison launched an assault into Nogales, Mexico . The Mexicans eventually surrendered after both sides sustained heavy casualties. A few months earlier, just west of Nogales, an Indian War battle had occurred, considered

5628-413: The state, and Arizona is home to major universities, including the University of Arizona , Arizona State University , and Northern Arizona University . The state is known for a history of conservative politicians such as Barry Goldwater and John McCain , though it has become a swing state in recent years. The state's name appears to originate from an earlier Spanish name, Arizonac , derived from

5712-443: The state. After Maricopa County did not allow them to register to vote, in 1948 veteran Frank Harrison and Harry Austin, of the Mojave-Apache Tribe at Fort McDowell Indian Reservation , brought a legal suit, Harrison and Austin v. Laveen , to challenge this exclusion. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in their favor. Arizona's population grew tremendously with residential and business development after World War   II, aided by

5796-412: The state. In 2004, voters passed Proposition 200 , requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The Supreme Court of the United States struck this restriction down in 2013. In 2010, Arizona enacted SB 1070 which required all immigrants to carry immigration papers at all times, but the Supreme Court also invalidated parts of this law in Arizona v. United States in 2012. On January 8, 2011,

5880-434: The sum of $ 15   million in compensation (equivalent to $ 528,230,769.23 in 2023) be paid to the Republic of Mexico. In 1853, the U.S. acquired the land south below the Gila River from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase along the southern border area as encompassing the best future southern route for a transcontinental railway. What is now the state of Arizona was administered by the United States government as part of

5964-405: The territory gained and lost political influence with the growth and development of the territory. Although names including "Gadsonia", "Pimeria", "Montezuma" and "Arizuma" had been considered for the territory, when 16th President Abraham Lincoln signed the final bill, it read "Arizona", and that name was adopted. ( Montezuma was not derived from the Aztec emperor, but was the sacred name of

6048-578: The time of statehood. During the first years of statehood the industry experienced growing pains and labor disputes with the Bisbee Deportation of 1917 the result of a copper miners' strike. During the Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1920, several battles were fought in the Mexican towns just across the border from Arizona settlements. Throughout the revolution, many Arizonans enlisted in one of

6132-711: The war by the Maytag family (of major home appliance fame). It was developed as the site of the Phoenix Zoo . A Japanese-American internment camp was on Mount Lemmon , just outside the state's southeastern city of Tucson. Another POW camp was near the Gila River in eastern Yuma County . Arizona was also home to the Phoenix Indian School , one of several federal Indian boarding schools designed to assimilate Native American children into mainstream European-American culture. Children were often enrolled in these schools against

6216-473: The western half of earlier New Mexico Territory, in Washington, D.C. , on February 24, 1863. These new boundaries would later form the basis of the state. The first territorial capital, Prescott, was founded in 1864 following a gold rush to central Arizona. The capital was later moved to Tucson, back to Prescott, and then to its final location in Phoenix in a series of controversial moves as different regions of

6300-619: The widespread use of air conditioning , which made the intensely hot summers more comfortable. According to the Arizona Blue Book (published by the Arizona Secretary of State 's office each year), the state population in 1910 was 294,353. By 1970, it was 1,752,122. The percentage growth each decade averaged about 20% in the earlier decades, and about 60% each decade thereafter. In the 1960s, retirement communities were developed. These age-restricted subdivisions catered exclusively to

6384-515: The winter months; they are referred to as snowbirds . In March 2000, Arizona was the site of the first legally binding election ever held over the internet to nominate a candidate for public office. In the 2000 Arizona Democratic Primary, under worldwide attention, Al Gore defeated Bill Bradley . Voter turnout in this state primary increased more than 500% over the 1996 primary. In the 21st century, Arizona has frequently garnered national attention for its efforts to quell illegal immigration into

6468-483: The wishes of their parents and families. Attempts to suppress native identities included forcing the children to cut their hair, to take and use English names, to speak only English, and to practice Christianity rather than their native religions. Numerous Native Americans from Arizona fought for the United States during World War   II. Their experiences resulted in a rising activism in the postwar years to achieve better treatment and civil rights after their return to

6552-647: Was a California pioneer railroad builder, mining operator and land speculator. Robinson never married and at the urging of his sister Sophia Robinson Cutter, wrote a new will in 1891 in which he left the rancho to her. In 1900 the Bank of California, which held the mortgage on the ranch, foreclosed on the property. Charles Appleton Hooper purchased the ranch property in 1900. 38°00′36″N 121°54′00″W  /  38.010°N 121.900°W  / 38.010; -121.900 Anza Expedition Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788)

6636-699: Was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire . He is credited as one of the founding fathers of Spanish California and served as an official within New Spain as Governor of the province of New Mexico . Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was born in Fronteras , New Navarre , New Spain (today Sonora , Mexico ) in 1736 (near Arizpe ), most probably at Cuquiarachi, Sonora, but possibly at

6720-636: Was appointed commander of the Presidio of Tucson in 1788 but died before he could depart and take office. He was 52 years old. Anza was survived by his wife. Juan Bautista de Anza died in Arizpe, in what is now the State of Sonora, Mexico, and was buried in the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Arizpe . In 1963, with the participation of delegations from the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco , he

6804-688: Was closely watched by Viceroy and King, and on October 2, 1774, Anza was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel , and ordered to lead a group of colonists to Alta California. The Spanish were desirous of reinforcing their presence in Alta California as a buffer against Russian colonization of the Americas advancing from the north, and possibly establish a harbor that would give shelter to Spanish ships. The expedition got under way on October 23, 1775, and arrived at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in January 1776,

6888-636: Was disinterred and reburied in a new marble memorial mausoleum at the same Church. The primary legacy is the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in California and Arizona, administered by the US National Park Service , for hiking and driving the route of his expedition exploring Las Californias In the San Fernando Valley the trail crosses the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve , and in

6972-464: Was incorporated in 1877, making it the oldest incorporated city in Arizona. It is home to the University of Arizona . Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley and Marana northwest of the city, Sahuarita south of the city, and South Tucson in an enclave south of downtown. It has an average July temperature of 100   °F (38   °C) and winter temperatures averaging 65   °F (18   °C). Saguaro National Park , just west of

7056-582: Was the next European in the region. A member of the Society of Jesus (" Jesuits "), he led the development of a chain of missions in the region. He converted many of the Indians to Christianity in the Pimería Alta (now southern Arizona and northern Sonora ) in the 1690s and early 18th century. Spain founded presidios ("fortified towns") at Tubac in 1752 and Tucson in 1775. When Mexico achieved its independence from

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