What happened in Arizona during the American Revolution?

What was Arizona like during the American Revolution? On “What Happened in AZ?” we explore a powerful and often overlooked story.

During the late 1700s, long before statehood, the land we now call Arizona was not part of the United States. It was primarily home to diverse and thriving Indigenous nations, including the O’odham, Apache, Hopi and Navajo peoples.

These communities had deep cultural traditions, established trade systems and strong connections to the land, while Spanish settlers expanded missions and influence.

Learn how Native communities lived, resisted and adapted while Spain quietly shaped the region’s future.

Each Friday we’ll be sharing a peek into the past that shows what life was like here, in what’s now Arizona, at the time of the American Revolution ahead of the semiquincentennial or 250th anniversary of the United States.

Stay tuned to learn more about “What Happened in AZ?” each week.

_{^{Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting}}.