Founded: 1706
Incorporated as a Town: July 2, 1885
All-America City Winner 1957.
Site of Crusades by Reverend Billy Graham 1952, 1975 and 1998.
Spanish Colonial Period: 1706-1821
Mexican Period: 1821-1848
United States Territorial Period: 1848-1912
Statehood Period: 1912-present
First settled by the Tiwa people in approximately 1000 AD, Albuquerque was first formed in 1706 as the Villa San Francisco de Alburquerque by the Governor of the Spanish territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico.
The name Albuquerque honors the 34th Viceroy of New Spain Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque. The city's nickname "Duke City" also honors the Duke of Alburquerque.
In 1821, following Mexican independence the city no longer answered to Spain's appointed governors, but rather to the government of Mexico. This continued until 1848 when Albuquerque became a territory of the United States. In 1884, the city was formally organized and elected its first mayor to a 1 year term. Finally, when the New Mexico statehood was granted in 1912, Albuquerque became the the new states' largest city.
