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The Chemehuevi, Mohave, Hopi, Navajo and Apache were some of the many native American tribes living in the area that would become Arizona during the initial European exploration and settlement. The first documented European exploration of the area was by Father Marcos de Niza in 1539. In 1752 Juan Batiste de Anza and Spanish settlers established a garrison at Tubac Presidio in present day Tubac, Arizona. This was the first permanent European Settlement.
The land that would later become Arizona was acquired from Mexico as part of the Mexican Cession after the Mexican-American war. Prior to entering the Union it was part of New Mexico Territory. On the 20th of June, 1910 Congress passed an enabling act authorizing formation of a State government and admission thereafter. Arizona was admitted as the 48th state on February 14, 1912 upon proclamation by President William Howard Taft.
Oraibi may be the oldest continuously occupied Native American Indian settlement in the United States. It has been occupied by the Hopis and their ancestors since approximately 1150 A.D.
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