Land Rights and Literacy: How Maestro Miguel López Struggled for Hispano Autonomy in Northern New Mexico, 1883-1906

Abstract

This article examines the land rights advocacy and early teaching career of Miguel López from 1883 to 1906. It underscores his work as a Maestro Obrero, or Master Workman, in the Knights of Labor (KOL) union in Colfax County, New Mexico. As a leader in the KOL, López advocated for the land rights and educational needs of his community. In addition, this article investigates how the struggle for land rights impacted and shaped López’s early teaching career. It features the culturally relevant lessons López developed for his native Spanish-speaking students. Set against the backdrop of the struggle for land in the Territory of New Mexico, López’s lesson plans and gradebook illuminate what teaching and learning were like in communities where Hispanos[1] controlled their schools.

[1] In this article, I use the terms Hispano, Mexican, and Mexican American. Hispano refers to Mexican citizens and their descendants with deep roots in New Mexico. I use Mexican and Mexican American when referring broadly to former Mexican citizens and their descendants in the American Southwest.