 In 1837, Carlos was appointed to replace Alvarado as governor, but Alvarado was able to reclaim the Governorship a year later.The Spanish Empire had conquered California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas from the American Indian tribes over the preceding three centuries, but there remained powerful and independent indigenous nations within that northern regiono.Most of that land was too dry (low rainfall) and too mountainous to support many people, until the advent of new technology after about 1880