Item No: #10050 Mensaje de Miguel A. Otero, Gobernador de Nuevo Mexico a la Asamblea Legislativa 35ta. Enero 19 de 1903. Miguel A. Otero.

1903 Spanish-language Report of the Longest-Serving Hispanic Governor

Mensaje de Miguel A. Otero, Gobernador de Nuevo Mexico a la Asamblea Legislativa 35ta. Enero 19 de 1903

Notes: The report territorial governor Miguel Otero sent to the legislature as it was about to begin its new session. He was easily the highest ranking Latinx political leader in the 19th and early 20th centuries; in fact, his nine years as governor makes him the longest-serving Latinx governor in US history. This message is one of the key artifacts documenting Otero's position as New Mexican governor.

The opening section is a 61-page overview of the state of the territory. The message urges the representatives to think about the interests of the entire territory not just their local needs. Otero also laments the recent assassination of President William McKinley, which delayed New Mexico's petition for statehood once again. Following Otero's message are 29 reports (informes) from the various governmental departments and agencies on their activities over the previous two years since the Legislature last convened. Each report is printed and paginated separately, then sewn together and glued into wrappers. A very useful picture of the New Mexican territorial government, printed entirely in Spanish.

Otero was the second of several generations of his family who were successful in business and active in politics. He was also one of a small number of Hispanic New Mexicans educated outside of the Southwest in the 19th century. Otero attended St. Louis University and the University of Notre Dame. He was a well-known Republican and McKinley appointed him governor of the Territory of New Mexico in 1897; Theodore Roosevelt appointed him for a second term.

Approximately 700 pages with the various sections paginated separately.

Edition + Condition: A very good copy, in the original printed wrappers. Some loss to the spine and corners, but an attractive copy of a rare survivor.

Publication: Santa Fe: J. S. Duncan, Impresor Público, 1903.

Item No: #10050

Price: $750