Why did New Mexico struggle to become a US State?

Answer 1

Bad timing played a major role because the attention of the US Government was focused on the issue of slavery, the US Civil War and the later reconstruction period. A halfhearted attempt was made to bring it into the Union prior to the start of the war, but it failed.

The creation of Confederate Arizona (which included the southern half of present day New Mexico and the southern half of present day Arizona, divided at the 34th parallel North) was certainly another justification used to deny admission. The western capital of the Confederacy was in Mesilla which, after the fall of Tucson was threatened by the Union Forces out of California and Nevada and moved to El Paso and later to San Antonio. The exiled government continued to fight a war, but after having briefly held Santa Fe, they were defeated at Glorieta Pass and withdrew to Texas. While the Civil War in the West produced exaggerated claims of great victories by both camps it did not amount to much compared to the real war in the east. It did however tarnish the hope that New Mexico would ever become worthy of Statehood.

Three other elements aided in delaying entry as a state for 60 years. Wealth and power in New Mexico was in the hands of a very small number of Cattle Barons who ran things their way. They wanted no government interference in their affairs and they certainly did not want people to elect their own government. It is fair to say that prejudice existed. Americans were not yet ready to accept Hispanics as equals and New Mexico simply had more than their fair share of Hispanics and Indians. The final obstacle that came up was the wild west problem that was exemplified by the Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid. Could New Mexicans ever become civilized enough to govern themselves was the question that the legislature was asking at the Capital.

Answer 2

Reasons include the issues of slavery and the the US Civil War, discrimination against the large Mexican and Native American population, anti Catholicism, political power which the Cattle Barons did not want to share and a bad reputation of violence centered around the Lincoln County war and Billy the Kid.