a Cultural History of Gambling in the Territory of New Mexico
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Bronstein, Jamie
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
New Mexico State University
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2020
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
129
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
M.A.
Body granting the degree
New Mexico State University
Text preceding or following the note
2020
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
This research explores the cultural significance of gambling in New Mexico's three major ethnic groups (Native, Hispanic, and Anglo Americans) with a main focus on the period between the end of the Mexican-American War in 1847 and New Mexico's admission as a state in 1912. The gambling activities of these cultures evince notions of religion, economics, and morality in their structure, symbolism, and role within society. Some cultures revered gambling and reserved certain games for ceremonial purposes, while others viewed it as a profitable profession or immodest hobby. Prior to U.S. acquisition, gambling contributed to cultural bonds between Natives and Hispanics as seen through mutual celebrations that featured gambling and gambling activities, which served as a medium for the exchange of cultural and religious symbolism. Anglo settlers added to a thriving gambling culture through prize fighting and card games, but some also perceived preestablished gambling in New Mexico through a lens of ethnocentrism. While gambling was a licit activity throughout much of the territorial period, critics felt gambling had a negative effect on the moral, civil, and economic fabric of the territory. This research argues that gambling allowed for cultural bonds to form between Natives and Hispanics of the area, but that it was the source of cultural tensions between Anglos and the indigenous cultures of New Mexico during the territorial era.