Mr.A HISTORY TEST LESSON 17 MEXICANO CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOUTHWEST 1-16-26 8TH GRADE

Irrigation

A system used for supplying water to crops; Mexicans established farming systems using this method in the Southwest before American settlers arrived.

Mexicano

Spanish-speaking people of Mexican ancestry who lived in the Southwest during the mid-1800s.

Vaquero

A Spanish or Mexican cowboy who managed cattle herds; their tools and techniques $(\text{like the lasso and saddle})$ were adopted by American cowboys.

What was the main material that Mexicans used to build their buildings in the southwest?

Mud, specifically sun-dried mud bricks known as adobe.

What US laws were influenced by the Mexican government?

Mining laws, as the US had no federal mining laws and adopted Mexican rules for staking claims.

What subject of the Mexican pueblo law was used as a basis of US law?

Water rights; the principle that water belongs to the entire community rather than just one individual.

What were the Spanish words found in this lesson that were adopted by the US cowboys?

Words like bronco, stampede, corral, lasso, burro, and buckaroo.

How were Mexicans treated once they were annexed by the US?

They faced significant discrimination, often losing their land titles in American courts and being treated as second-class citizens.

What became an important industry in the southwest because of Mexicans?

Growing fruit (such as grapes, dates, and citrus) as well as the sheep raising industry.

How was mining important to the US because of Mexican laws already in place?

Mexican law provided a framework for legal discovery and the process of "staking a claim," which the US lacked when the Gold Rush began.

What professional sport in Texas originated from Mexico?

Rodeo, which grew out of the cattle-herding competitions of the vaqueros.

What Mexican legal doctrine of community property rights did the US adopt?

The 50/50 marriage laws, which treat property acquired during marriage as belonging equally to both spouses.

What US music is influenced by Mexican music?

Country music, folk ballads (corridos), and jazz.

What marriage law was adopted because of Mexicans?

Community property law, where couples share ownership of property acquired during marriage.

Essential Question: How have Mexicano contributions influenced life in the United States?

Mexicano contributions shaped the West through irrigation and farming techniques, mining and water laws, the development of the cattle industry (cowboy culture), community property rights, and distinct architectural styles.