As we observe the nation’s 250th anniversary, historians focus on the East Coast, but New Mexico has proud moments too. Return with me to 1851, when New Mexico became a territory of the United States.

Five years after the United States claimed New Mexico as a prize of the Mexican-American War, Congress declared New Mexico a territory and President Millard Fillmore appointed James Silas Calhoun as governor.Calhoun was a cut above the usual federal appointee; a former judge, legislator, merchant and banker from Georgia, he was highly ethical and conscientious. (I wrote his biography in 2021.) He was already serving as New Mexico’s first Indian agent. And he spoke Spanish.

New Mexicans had no experience with democracy. They had been under the thumb of Spain and Mexico for more than two centuries and in 1846 became wards of a corrupt U.S. military occupation.

Political debates were hotly divided. One faction demanded that Americans run everything, even though they represented a sliver of the population. And to avoid taxes they wanted to keep New Mexico dependent on the federal government. Calhoun’s faction argued for statehood and had the support of New Mexicans.

In his inaugural speech on March 3, 1851, he said: “An era in the history of New Mexico commences this day… The fate of New Mexico, under Providence, is in the hands of her own sons, and if wise and patriotic counsels prevail, a brilliant destiny awaits her.”

With Calhoun’s inauguration, New Mexicans became citizens – with rights – of a United States Territory. He understood that he must guide the creation of a just and stable government in this remote outpost and see that New Mexicans were closely involved in the process. His experience as a judge and legislator prepared him well for the job.

New Mexicans weren’t entirely unprepared. Prominent families had long sent their sons to the States to be educated, and among the American newcomers were a handful of lawyers.

On May 19 New Mexicans elected their legislators. The men chosen could be considered the fathers of New Mexico Territory, and most of them were Hispanic.

This high level of political participation was unusual for a conquered people, according to historian Phillip Gonzáles. The American political process gave New Mexicans a seat at the table and rewarded them as they submitted to the power of the United States.

Now, imagine 39 legislators settling into small chambers in the ancient, dilapidated Palace of the Governors on the Santa Fe Plaza. Their job was to create a government from scratch.

New Mexico then had about 57,000 people, not counting tribes, and seven in eight were illiterate. Only churches provided any education. Indian hostilities were rampant. And official Washington barely knew the territory existed.

Addressing lawmakers, Calhoun covered issues that are surprisingly contemporary, beginning with elections. He asked them to define the qualifications for voting and holding office so that “strangers temporarily residing in your midst” couldn’t interfere in elections and suggested requiring voters to register before elections to prevent fraud. Regarding taxation, it “should be borne alike, having a just regard to the means of each individual… Not one cent beyond the just wants of the government should be collected, and the most rigid economy should be practiced.”

On education, this father of two daughters said it was important to educate New Mexico’s girls as well as her boys. Agricultural laws should govern irrigation, sale of animals, and marks and brands. Improper use of weights and measures should be penalized. As for the poor, he said, “Let us, at the very commencement of our career in self-government, take special care of the weak and the innocent, and secure to them the means of an honest and virtuous independence…”

Issues of their day included defining relations between masters and peons, demanding that the military restore church property it had seized, exploring the territory, and persuading people to give up their Mexican citizenship and join the “political community of New Mexico.”

For 40 days the first territorial legislature tackled Calhoun’s priorities and their own. By adjournment new legislators had accomplished a great deal. They declared and established the people’s rights, decided who could vote, provided for punishment of crimes, regulated trade and interaction with the tribes, attempted to levy taxes, established the territorial treasury, standardized master-servant contracts, and regulated water and acequias. They passed mining and agricultural laws, and created judicial districts.

In just three months, Calhoun and the Legislature made a remarkable start on creating a territorial government that brought order and predictability. They reassured skeptical New Mexicans and welcomed their participation in the American democratic process.

Sherry Robinson is a longtime New Mexico reporter and editor. She has worked in Grants, Gallup, the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly and Albuquerque Tribune. She is the author of four books. Her columns won first place in 2024 from New Mexico Press Women.

The problem with revolutionaries is that they’re revolutionary. They are misunderstood, misfits in their own right and time. Revolutionaries are doubted – told they will never make it and told to slow down and wait for society to catch up. It took Christopher Columbus seven years and rejections from the kings of Spain, Portugal and England before he secured funding for his triumphant voyage. Society vilifies revolutionaries because the ordinary man can’t tolerate his own ordinariness. It is far easier to bring someone down so as not to feel bad about one’s own mediocrity than it is to level up. The ordinary man is trained to think that revolutionaries are the root of all evil – and oftentimes refuses to utilize the genius of their ideas and inventions. We’d rather cut off our nose to spite our face.

Last week, Elon Musk became the planet’s first trillionaire with the IPO of SpaceX. He has brought tremendous ingenuity, wealth, inspiration and leadership to literally billions of people on this planet. His influence is undeniable. Yet his haters took to the pulpit immediately to denounce his “absurd” wealth. In a Washington Post article, Sen. Elizabeth Warren wasted no time bashing Musk for his success. “I want to be clear: This is not just some fluke. It is a figure of a rigged economy. Today’s marker should be a wake-up call … Time to make a change.” I’m sure she didn’t say that when electric cars revolutionized by Tesla took to the streets. Or when reusable rockets landed perfectly on their launch pads. Or when Starlink provided millions of people with high-speed internet. Warren wasn’t the only one, however. Other naysaying pooh-poohers included Bernie Sanders, Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who said this wealth accumulation marks a “new pinnacle of oligarchy.”

The frightening reality is that those elected officials who fight for democracy are the same ones who fight to limit personal freedom and self-determination. On the one hand they want you to believe that individual rights are important. But they just don’t want anyone to break the mold too much. Don’t make us uncomfortable with your success because it stings. The desire to bring someone down breeds a culture of dependence and blame. It’s never our fault. Our current situation, for better or worse, must be the fault of billionaires! The system is rigged! It’s intergenerational and historical trauma that keeps me back. If it’s not one crutch it’s another.

Cayetana Alvarez de Toledo, the Spanish historian, journalist and politician, understands this sentiment clearly and makes the argument that Mexican sovereignty is under threat. Not from abroad, but from within Mexico itself. In a speech delivered at the Universidad de la Libertad in Mexico a couple of weeks ago, Cayetana responded to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s defense of national sovereignty. Cayetana said the threats against Mexican sovereignty do not come from the United States or any outside forces. They come from three sources. First, organized crime fulfilled through narco-terrorism. Second, from authoritarian populism that often works in conjunction with terrorism. And third is the mindset and culture of dependence. When a society becomes complacent with the idea that it must accept what is given, it continues to ask for what must be given. Combined, these internal forces weaken national sovereignty and personal and national independence.

Haters have existed since the beginning of time. It’s not their jealousy of others that stings most; it’s the recognition that they’re mediocre.

Which brings us back to earth. When even iconic greats such as Christopher Columbus and Elon Musk can’t escape the orbit of vituperative jealousy, what chance does the common person staging his own revolution have? The guy trying to change the world or the girl who says enough is enough – even if it is in their backyard or a small town such as Española or Chama. Or even El Duende. With so much disdain for success, societies risk losing their vigor for change, adaptation and even survival as they quash the next great revolutionary. Don’t let the fear of the common man stop you from starting your own revolution. Even if it’s a small step toward independence, make that change. Life has become so boring from the collective monotony of people afraid to dress differently, speak differently or, God forbid, think differently. We stick to our usual catch phrases such as “They don’t get us because they’re not from here.” Or my personal favorite: “It’s always been done that way.”

At the bottom of La Rambla, the street that takes you from the city center to the harbor in Barcelona, Spain, you see an enormous statue of Christopher Columbus. It is awe-inspiring. He is pointing west. To the new world. He is pointing to us. To the next revolutionary. Don’t shy away from your calling. Let the haters hate.

Javier Sanchez is the former Mayor of Espanola, an independent businessman, and El Rito Media investor and columnist.