University of Arizona

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Defendant's Photographic Exhibits 1 to 44 Inclusive

1895
AZ 110
Collection Guide
Photocopy of Document for Defense of Peralta Land Claim

James Addison Reavis, (1843-1914), was a swindler and forger, famous for attempting to fraudulently obtain 7,500 sq. miles of Arizona Territory by falsifying documents in Mexico and Spain to show a Spanish land grant to Don Miguel Peralta in 1748.

This collection includes photoprints of selected defendant's documents, supposedly from various archvies in Guadalajara, Mexico, purporting to prove the existence of the Peralta land grant claim. Collection also includes an item-by-item critical explanation relating to forged features of the documents. Documents are in Spanish; with English explanation.

Included materials:
Photographs
Manuscript
Subject Area:
Mexico
Collection Area:
Arizona & Southwest
Borderlands

Land Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.