Tucson is possibly the longest continuously inhabited location in the US, potentially having been settled as early as 10,000-12,000 years ago. The groups designated as the Hohokam inhabited the area between about 200 and 1450 AD. The modern descendants of the Hohokam culture are the Pima and Tohono O'odham.
In 1775, the Spanish established a fort in what would later become the city of Tucson. The Mission San Xavier del Bac, begun in 1699, was completed in 1797 and can still be visited today.
Tucson was a colony of Spain until 1821 when Mexico gained its independence. Tucson remained part of Mexico until the Gadsden purchase of 1853 transferred ownership to the United States. The University of Arizona was founded in 1885.
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