Newspaper archives

Newspapers played an important role in the affairs of the nation as influential framers of public opinion during the 19th century. Journalism historian Frank Luther Mott characterized the tremendous popularity of newspapers during the second half of the century as "one of the wonders of the time (Mott, 1962)." He attributed this rise popularity to a growing interest in public affairs at a time when "the chief source of political information was the newspaper.(Ibid.)" Alexis de Tocqueville was struck by what he perceived as the pervasive influence of newspapers in 19th century America - especially in terms of molding public attitudes and/or opinion (de Tocqueville, 1862). In Democracy in America, he observed that:

The press influence in America is immense. When many organs of the press adopt the same line of conduct their influence in the long run becomes irresistible; and public opinion perpetually assailed from the same side, eventually yields to the attack.... In the United States, the power of the press is second only to that of the people (ibid.).

Perhaps more significantly, de Tocqueville asserted that the press had enough influence "to modify customs as well as laws (ibid.)." He argued that by the persistent reflection of specific sentiments, the press could establish and legitimize a given political culture.

Given the important of the newspaper in forming public opinion, an analysis of the newspapers of the day (particularly the ones in the New Mexico region) would help the researcher understand what people thought about the indigenous culture, or at least, what newspapermen wanted people to think.

Archival Records

Archival records should provide a good source of information in this project. Since the research centers around uncovering the living conditions and attitudes underlying the treatment of the Neomexican citizenry by the Anglo citizenry, records of legal proceedings and archives of business dealings, churches, and other organizations could provide some of the details of these activities.

In particular, business records and legal accounts could be extremely valuable. Many Anglos moved to New Mexico following the American invasion in order to build a new life and exploit the spoils of that conquest. However, the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo constrained these activities in theory, though historians have noted that the spirit of this treaty was eventually completely disregarded (Stratton, 1969; Meyer, 1996). The Neomexicano culture was eventually subverted, though on the surface, great pains were taken to protect their culture.

Since business interests were the driving force behind much of the Anglo presence in the territory to begin with, it stands to reason that the manner in which the Anglos conducted business would show early signs of this cultural exploitation. Precisely, much can be learned from comparing how Anglo business interests dealt with Neomexicanos as opposed to other Anglos. If disparity exists (and historians have claimed it does), this evidence speaks directly to the heart of the issue at stake.

Another key benefit of using this source is as a comparison to the Anglo media voice captured through the Anglo newspapers of the day. Disparities between the rhetoric used in both the English and Spanish language versions of the Anglo press and the business and legal proceedings can indicate how much (or little) the Anglos respected the cultural rights of the indigenous people of the region. In other words, should the ñofficialî voice of the Anglo citizenry be significantly different from the implementation and actions towards the Neomexican community, this disparity itself would show an attitude of disrespect towards the people. A people who are not respected or taken seriously are often not deemed worthy of honest and open communication (Meyer, 1996). This is the nature of the second-class mentality.

Ephemera

Another important source of information would be an ephemeral materials from the time period in question. Ephemera often provide the researcher with a taste of the historical moment (Rickards and Twyman, 2000). This taste is very important in this case, as more reflective sources, such as oral history or official accounts, may in retrospect bias the nature of the information to favor one group or the other.

Ephemera can be useful in many ways. Invitations to parties and social functions can show the tastes of the communities at given times. Celebrations of historical events can show what actions a group of people praises or reveres.

Printed advertisements can indicate certain aspects of a culture's economic values. Not only can prices and special offers help historians determine what goods were targeted towards both the Anglo and the Neomexican communities, but they can also help determine what products were needed and desired for the workings of everyday life. Consumer habits are very important in determining how a society was constructed.

Manuscripts

Manuscripts will almost certainly be a key source of historical information for this project. Manuscripts generally provide insight into a person's thoughts and experiences. Since these thoughts are generally written without a mass audience in mind, many of the social pressures that tend to color a person's honesty and openness should be, to an extent, relieved (Duckett, 1975).

In this case, the use of letters and diaries of prominent Anglos and Neomexicanos should provide some glimpses into the underlying conflict beneath the official rhetoric and legal agreements of the society. In particular, the reflections of Neomexican individuals who lived in the New Mexico area before the U.S. invasion and recorded their thoughts during and after the conflict may help shed some light on the nature of the cultural changes brought about by the introduction of conflicting influences.

The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo guaranteed certain liberties of cultural protection for the Neomexicano society, liberties that were eventually violated. By returning to the writings, letters and thoughts of the citizens who were eventually co-opted, the researcher should begin to trace the introduction of certain rhetorical changes in the expression of the Neomexicano culture.

Maps

A survey of maps of this area of the U.S. is critical to this study. Maps serve historians as ñgraphic illustrations of what man has known about his world at any particular time (Martin and Martin, 1999).î Maps help explain why certain groups formed certain attitudes about their environment. Understanding where the shipping lanes, natural land formations and cultural centers of the society were can help explain why some sub-groups of Neomexicans were co-opted by their Anglo neighbors at different rates.

Also, these maps can be used to show how the steady influx of travelers who passed through major lanes of travel could have provided a steady stream of communication from the outside world. These communication lines are important, since the changing trends and evolving cultures of the Anglos must also be accounted for when looking at New Mexican society. When triangulated with the official records and examples of interpersonal correspondence, a better picture of why (or if) the behavior of the Anglos towards their Neomexican neighbors changed over time.

Photographs

Though no photographs exist from this time period (as the technology was not present), several drawings from the period exist, and can serve similar functions for the researcher. These drawings often depict the people of the time period, dressed in clothing of the day and surrounded by the objects representative of the historical culture. Dress is of particular importance, since the clothing worn in the past affords an invaluable insight into lifestyles that have disappeared forever (Ashelford, 1996).

In addition, these visual records can sometimes provide secondary information about the subjects. Portraits often provide graphic evidence that ordinary Americans, when dressed in their finest attire, appeared very much the same as their wealthier neighbors. But upon closer examination, these pictures often reveal inconsistencies that betray the actual economic status of the sitter (Severa, 1995). These bits of information can help map out the rise of the affluence of the Anglo portions of New Mexican society. When compared to the degradation of the cultural norms of the Neomexicano culture, a positive relationship could help explain the rationale for this trend.

Oral History

An important source in delving into the Neomexicano culture of the time will be oral history. Oral history has an advantage over other historical sources in that the informed interviewer gets at more of the truth than individuals appear to present about themselves (Nevins, 1984). Often in cultural studies, oral histories preserve and collect information that would otherwise be lost to the historian (Hand, 1984).

Meyer notes that much of the early history and culture of the Neomexicans is exclusively preserved in poetic and narrative oral traditional formats (Meyer, 1996). These narratives tend to be difficult to interpret, as they mix allegory, symbolic representation and factual information seamlessly into a common form. However, if one wants to get a glimpse of the pre-press Neomexican form of expression, oral tradition is just about the only available source.

Historical Context

ProposedMethodology

Potential Sources

Reference List