What States Did Mexico Sell to the United States?

The concept of Mexico 'selling' states to the United States is a simplification of the complex history of territorial changes between the two nations. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) resulted in a significant transfer of territory from Mexico to the United States, but the details are often misunderstood.

The Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico. The US won, and as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico ceded a substantial portion of its territory to the United States. This included the future states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and most of California. However, this transaction did not involve the sale of states but rather the transfer of land.

During the war, the US provided a gun to the head of the Mexican President, who had to negotiate under duress. The US surveyors then established the boundaries. In these areas, the US promised to protect private ownership of Mexican and native peoples, while the lands previously belonging to Spain were under the control of the US Federal Government. Over time, the protective cover of the US was transferred to state governments, which often contested and diminished the claims of Mexican settlers.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, officially ended the Mexican-American War. Mexico ceded a significant portion of its territory to the United States, including parts of present-day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. This treaty was not a sale but an agreement between two nations negotiating the terms of a war.

For their agreement, the United States paid Mexico $15 million and an additional $5 million to US citizens with claims against Mexico. Mexico accepted these terms willingly and gratefully.

The territory transferred included over 55 percent of Mexico's land, a vast area of the American Southwest. The impacted regions included:

Texas New Mexico Arizona California Part of Colorado Much of Nevada and Utah

The Gadsden Purchase

While the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was a significant transfer of land, there was another important transaction known as the Gadsden Purchase. This occurred in 1854, when Mexico sold a strip of land to the United States for a sum of 10 million dollars. The land in question was between southern Arizona and New Mexico, and it eventually became part of New Mexico and Southern Arizona.

Impact on Private Ownership

After the treaty, the US provided protection for private property, both Mexican and Native American. However, over time, state and local governments contested these claims, leading to the loss of many Mexican private properties. These properties included:

The City of Oakland Peralta San Fernando Valley San Pedro Coastal Ranchos Irvine Navajo Other Spanish surveyed reservations

Many of these properties were claimed under the doctrine of adverse possession, while others were subject to city, county, and state tax fees against sovereign land grants.