Final answer:
Santa Fe, New Mexico was founded by Juan de Oñate in 1610, becoming the capital of New Mexico and marking Spain's territorial expansion into the American Southwest.
Step-by-step explanation:
Juan de Oñate founded Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1610 as the capital of the colony of New Mexico. This event marked an important milestone in the colonization efforts of the Spanish in the Americas. Before this, the grandiose Aztec Empire was subject to Spanish conquest by the efforts of Hernán Cortés.
The rich and complex society of the Aztecs, centered in Tenochtitlán, served as a significant precursor to the establishment of new Spanish colonies such as Santa Fe. Santa Fe was situated among Pueblo villages and named La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís. Its establishment was part of the Spanish imperial strategy to expand their control northwards from the heart of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.