Editing Nevada (section)

===Before 1861===
{{Main|1 = The Californias#History|2 = Alta California}}
{{further|1 = Treaty of Córdoba|2 = Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire|3 = First Mexican Empire|4 = Provisional Government of Mexico|5 = First Mexican Republic|6 = Centralist Republic of Mexico|7 = Siete Leyes|8 = Definitive treaty of peace and friendship between Mexico and Spain}}

[[File:Mexico 1824 (equirectangular projection).png|thumb|upright=1.5|Mexico in 1824. [[Alta California]] included today's Nevada.|left]]

[[Francisco Garcés]] was the first European in the area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Explorers and Settlers in Nevada |url=http://scottforesman.com/state/nv/washoe/pdfs/g4_less03.pdf |publisher=Washoe County School District |page=2 |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020035/http://scottforesman.com/state/nv/washoe/pdfs/g4_less03.pdf |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nevada was annexed as a part of the [[Spanish Empire]] in the northwestern territory of [[New Spain]]. Administratively, the area of Nevada was part of the [[Provincias Internas|Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas]] in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Nevada became a part of [[Alta California]] (Upper California) province in 1804 when [[the Californias]] were split. With the [[Mexican War of Independence]] won in 1821, the province of Alta California became a territory (state) of Mexico, with a small population.

[[Jedediah Smith]] entered the [[Las Vegas Valley]] in 1827, [[Peter Skene Ogden]] traveled the [[Humboldt River]] in 1828, and in 1829 a merchant from [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|Nuevo México]] named [[Antonio Armijo]] streamlined travel along the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]. Chronicling [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)#Armijo Route|Armijo's route]] his scout [[Raphael Rivera]] was the first to name Las Vegas, in an 1830 report to governor [[José Antonio Chaves]]. Following the suggestions by Rivera of a spring, on the published expedition's map, located in the Las Vegas area [[John C. Frémont]] set up camp in [[Las Vegas Springs]] in 1844. In 1847, Mormons established the [[State of Deseret]], claiming all of Nevada within the Great Basin and the Colorado watershed. They built the first permanent settlement in what is now Nevada, called [[Genoa, Nevada|Mormon Station]] (now Genoa), in 1851. Additionally, in June 1855, William Bringhurst and 29 other Mormon missionaries built the first permanent structure, a 150-foot square [[Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park|adobe fort]], northeast of downtown Las Vegas, converging on the Spanish and [[Mormon Road]]s. The fort remained under [[Salt Lake City]]'s control until the winter of 1858–1859, and the route remained largely under the control of Salt Lake City and [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] tradespersons.

As such, these pioneers laid the foundation for the emergence of the initial settlements between the [[Sierra Nevada]]s and [[Mojave Desert]] and within the Las Vegas Valley. The enduring influence of [[New Mexico]] and [[Utah]] culture has since profoundly impacted Nevada's identity, manifesting through [[New Mexican cuisine]] and [[Mormon foodways]] or [[New Mexico music|New Mexican]] and [[Mormon folk music]]s, into the fabric of Nevada's own cultural landscape.

As a  result of the [[Mexican–American War]] and the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]], Mexico permanently lost Alta California in 1848. The new areas acquired by the United States continued to be administered as territories. As part of the [[Mexican Cession]] (1848) and the subsequent [[California Gold Rush]] that used [[Emigrant Trail]]s through the area, the [[Territorial evolution of Nevada|state's area evolved]] first as part of the [[Utah Territory]] and [[New Mexico Territory]], then the [[Nevada Territory]] (March 2, 1861; named for the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Nevada&searchmode=none |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606102953/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Nevada&searchmode=none |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Early 19th Century locomotive in Ely, Nevada.JPG|thumb|Sculpture representing a steam locomotive, in Ely, Nevada. Early locomotives played an important part in Nevada's mining industry.|left]]

The first discovery of a major U.S. deposit of [[silver ore]] occurred in [[Comstock Lode]] under [[Virginia City, Nevada]], in 1859.