The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

Southwest, region, southwestern United States, historically denoting several geographic areas in turn and changing over the years as the nation expanded. After the War of 1812, the Southwest generally meant Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana; after Texas was annexed, it, too, was included.

The Southwestern U.S. has undergone multiple waves of settlement since Europeans began arriving in North America in 1492. First on the scene were the Spanish conquistadors who arrived in present day Arizona and New Mexico by the mid 1500’s.

This paper will examine the development of the historiographical treatment of the Southwest over the last three decades, and show how the New Western history and investigations into issues of national identity revitalized the field.

Explore the culture and history of the American Southwest Know how the United States elects the offices of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the president, and the vice president unlike the United Kingdom