The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe

Dive into 500 years of rich history at the crossroads of cultures.

October 28–30 (Reception the evening of the 27th and an optional tour on the 30th)

Updated October 17: Sold out

Santa Fe provides a window into the history of the West unlike any other. The city and surrounding area witnessed more than 500 years of complex history as indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and US forces competed and sometimes cooperated for survival and success in a beautiful but harsh environment.

The century of preservation and redevelopment that followed honored both Native and Spanish heritages, creating a unique venue for studying and appreciating the complex history of the West.

All making it the perfect place for our first Pursuit of History Weekend in the West.

During The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe, we’ll explore history where it happened—guided by leading historians, authors, and guides; meeting in historic buildings; exploring the streets via in-depth tours designed for our group of history lovers; and going behind the scenes to see archives and areas not open to the public.

Pursuit of History Weekends are unlike any history event you’ve attended:

– History where it happened
– With noted historians, authors, and guides
– Understanding not just what happened, but why
– With a small group that shares your passion for history and wants to dive deep
– And going behind the scenes in archives and museums to areas not open to the public

Santa Fe has been a crossroads of cultures for more than 500 years.

Almost a hundred years before Lexington and Concord, Americans took up arms against a mighty European Empire, resisting imperial efforts to impose taxes, garrison troops, and limit local prerogatives. But in 1680 the empire was Spain and the Americans were Native Americans.

New Mexico’s Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was the only successful ouster of a colonial power by an indigenous population in what became the US. The Pueblo Revolt and later return of the Spanish set the stage for New Mexico’s centuries of resistance to successive colonizers (including the US).

Santa Fe provides a window into the history of the West unlike any other.

Speakers and Sites

Estevan Rael-Galvez, Director, Native Bound Unbound and former New Mexico State Historian
Nicolasa M. Chávez, Deputy State Historian for the State of New Mexico
Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and other books, in conversation with Scott Nadler.
Billy Garrett, Executive Director, New Mexico History Museum
Anne Hillerman, author, joining us for dinner Tuesday and will be in conversation with Scott Nadler after dinner discussing, “Woven stories: history, culture and landscape in New Mexico.” Anne will also be available to sign books.
Ellen Bradbury Reid, Los Alamos / Manhattan Project National Historical Park guide and A Nuclear Family: Coming of Age in Oppenheimer’s Secret City.
New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of the Governors, with an introduction by Executive Director Billy Garrett on reimagining the Palace of the Governors and a behind the scenes tour of the New Mexico History Museum.
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
La Fonda on the Plaza will be where we start our first two days and where we have dinner on the second night. La Fonda’s history can be traced back 400 years.
Pecos National Historical Park
Following the event, an optional tour on Wednesday, October 30 (includes bus and guides) to:
- Los Alamos / Manhattan Project National Historical Park
- Bandelier National Monument

Scott Nadler is the Program Director for The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe. He will be with us throughout the program and will lead a walking tour of Santa Fe that he has designed for this group that goes much deeper than the typical tourist walking tours.

Schedule

Sunday, October 27 — Evening reception at a private residence in Santa Fe. We’ll have a casual reception at the home of Pat Spain, whose generous support on behalf of the James & Edith Spain Foundation and the Spain Family is enabling us to present this exciting program, our first outside of the East Coast. It’s also our first going back much further in time historically than we covered at Valley Forge or at Washington’s Headquarters. And we’re covering a much larger area geographically involving more peoples and nations.

Monday, October 28 — Overview of the region’s 500+ year history of indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and US interactions.

In the historic La Fonda Hotel, site of the inn at the end of the Santa Fe Trail, noted scholars and authors will spell out the context of indigenous slavery, focus on Santa Fe’s role in the region’s history, and discuss how the arrival of U.S. explorers, traders, and military interacted with the region’s complex settlements and cultures.

We will then explore the city itself on foot, starting at Santa Fe’s historic Plaza, to see where and how this history played out on the ground.

Tuesday, October 29 — The interplay of peoples and cultures over centuries.

We will start with a behind-the-scenes perspective at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture before moving to the important Pueblo and Spanish archaeological site at Pecos National Park. We will return to Santa Fe to discuss the two days’ topics and conclude with added perspective over dinner at La Fonda.

Wednesday, October 30 — Optional tour outside of Santa Fe to include Los Alamos / Manhattan Project National Historical Park with Ellen Bradbury Reid and Bandelier National Monument with Ellen Bradbury Reid and Scott Green. Includes bus and guides.

Registration

The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe is sold out

If you’ve already registered, our page on Travel and Lodging has helpful tips.

Support

The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe is made possible with the generous support of the James & Edith Spain Foundation and the Spain Family.

Event Handout

Feedback about The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe

Guests came from New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas, Arizona, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Here are a few of the comments we received after the event.

“My deepest gratitude for your support and dedication to the recent ‘Pursuit of History’ event. I can’t remember a more organized and well planned group event. You are to be highly commended for keeping us ‘headed in the right direction’ down that old Santa Fe trail.”

Alice, Houston

“Everything was well organized and highly informative, and the people most interesting. We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Having an opportunity to descend into a kiva was an unexpected high point and we still talk about the Sunday night reception’s vibe, view, conversations and food.

Thanks again for a most enjoyable and informative few days in Santa Fe.”

John, Potomac, Maryland

“What a fabulous program you all hosted in Santa Fe. I am so grateful to have been a part of it. It was done so well.”

Leah, Santa Fe

Santa Fe is our third Pursuit of History Weekend

Our first was held in May 2023. The Pursuit of History: Forging the Continental Army took place in the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge. A year later we held The Pursuit of History: Rebellion in New England at Washington’s Headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It wasthe first of a three-part series covering events in New England of 250 years ago that will continue in 2024 and 2025.

The Pursuit of History: Santa Fe was our first outside of New England and it is will include all of the things that people love about Pursuit of History Weekends, including meeting where history happened, working to understand not just what happened, but why, engaging with our speakers and presenters throughout the day, and all with a small group of individuals who are deeply passionate about history.

The Pursuit of a History is the non-profit organization behind the groundbreaking History Camp and now Pursuit of History Weekends. Carefully curated for a small number of individuals, Pursuit of History Weekends are unlike any history event you’ve attended. Learn more about the organization at ThePursuitOfHistory.org.