Mom, Dad, Marsha, Steve, and I headed over to Taos, location of the home of the first governor of the territory of New Mexico after its incorporation into the United States. Charles Bent was a highly successful fur trader and businessman in the early 1800's. He made no secret of his disdain for the locals, stating that “they have no opinion of their own, they are entirely governed by the powers that be, they are without exception the most servile people that can be imagined….. The Mexican character is made up of stupidity, obstinacy, ignorance, duplicity and vanity.” It's no wonder, then, that when he was named the territory's first American governor by the great White government back east., he was unpopular among many of the natives. A group of Native Americans and Hispanics broke into this house January 19, 1847 and killed Charles Bent and several others who were visiting at the time. (It wasn't entirely a personal thing: The rebels believed that, once they had eliminated the American government from their lands, Mexico would come marching in to reclaim the territory). Click "Map This" above for location.

governorbenthomemuseum