The Treaties of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase: A Short
History of the Development of the U.S.-Mexico Border up to 1854
“In the murder of Mexicans
upon their own soil, or in
robbing them of their country, I
can take no part either now or
here-after. The guilt of these
crimes must rest on others. I will
not participate in them.”
-Joshua Giddings
SWBAT:
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Summarize the reasons settlers
headed West
Describe the Texas settlement,
struggle for independence and
annexation
Explain the causes and
consequences of the war with
Mexico
Evaluate the results of the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
and Gadsden Purchase
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Conquest of Mexico
by Hernan Cortez
(1519-1521)
Cabeza de Vaca
(1528-1536)
Seven Cities of Cibola
Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado (15401542)
The Myth of Gran
Quivira
Juan de Onate
expedition 1598
Spanish Borderlands
(1598-1821)
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Agreement between
Thomas Jefferson
and Napoleon
Bonaparte (America
and France)
Doubled the size of
the United States at a
cost of $15 million
U.S. claims Texas as
part of the purchase
Spain contests U.S.
claim of Texas
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U.S. obtains control of
Spanish Florida
Sabine River become
the boundary between
Texas and Louisiana
Spain retains control of
Texas
Northern boundary
between Spain and
Oregon territory
established at 42nd
parallel
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Father Miguel Hidalgo y
Costilla (1753-1811)
El Grito de Delores (1810)
Father Jose Maria Morelos
(1765-1850)
Agustin de Iturbide (17831824)
Mexico gains Independence
from Spain (September 1821)
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Anglo-American settlement
(1820s)
Empresarios such as Stephen F.
Austin given land grants by the
Mexican government in Texas
Mexican President Vicente
Guerrero banned slavery in 1821
Mexico banned further AngloAmerican immigration to Texas
after 1830
Texas secession movement leads
to the battles of the Alamo and
Golaid
Mexican forces led by General
Santa Anna defeated at the Battle
of San Jacinto by Sam Houston
Santa Anna captured by Texas
forces
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Texas Independence from Mexico
granted by Santa Anna
Santa Anna forced to recognize the Rio
Grande as the southern and western
boundary of Texas and Mexico in
exchange for his release
The government of Mexico refuses to
recognize the validity of the treaty
All previous Spanish and Mexican
maps and documents place the Texas
boundary at the Nueces River
U.S. recognizes the independence of
Texas in March of 1837 leading to
increased tensions between the United
States and Mexico
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Also known as the “War of North
American Intervention”
U.S. supports the Texas claim of
the Rio Grande border instead of
the Nueces River
In March of 1845 U.S. President
John Tyler authorizes the
annexation of Texas
Mexico’s government has warned
that this action would lead to war
with the U.S.
U.S. President James K. Polk
sends General Zachory Taylor to
enforce Texas’s claim of the Rio
Grande as the northern border of
Mexico
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Mexico views the crossing of the Nueces
River as an invasion of its sovereign
territory and attacks Taylor’s forces near
today’s Brownsville, Texas in April of 1846
President Polk claims that U.S. territory is
being “invaded” and requests a declaration
of war against Mexico on May 11th of 1846
General Taylor’s forces conquer northern
Mexico
General Stephen W. Kearny conquers New
Mexico and southern California
Colonel Alexander Doniphan conquers
southern New Mexico (including El Paso)
and Chihuahua
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General Winfield Scott
conquers the cities of
Veracruz and Puebla
The Battle of
Churubusco and
Chapultepec (Niños
Heroes)
Mexico City is captured
on September 14th 1847
Santa Anna resigns the
presidency and flees the
capital
The leadership of Mexico
devolves to Manuel de la
Pena y Pena
Mexican_war.gif
Nicholas Trist sent to Mexico
to negotiate on behalf of the
United States
 The original treaty called for
the cession of Alta and Baja
California, New Mexico, and
the right of transit across
the isthmus of Tehuantepec
for $20 million
 On February 2nd 1848
Mexican representatives
met with Trist in the village
of Guadalupe Hidalgo
outside of Mexico City
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Trist had been recalled by President
Polk but decided to continue
negotiations on the treaty with the
encouragement of General Scott
 The Mexican government agreed to
accept the Rio Grande as the Texas
border and ceded the Southwest
with the Gila River forming part of
the southern boundary
 The area incorporated the present
day states of Texas, California, New
Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of
Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming
 Mexico received $15 million
(equivalent to $313 million in 2006
dollars) for surrendering 525,000
square miles of its national domain
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The “Mexican Cession” constituted a loss
that amounted to 55 percent of Mexico’s
prewar territory
The U.S. agreed to assume $3.2 million
(equivalent of $68 million in 2006 dollars) in
claims against Mexico by U.S. citizens
Northern abolitionists opposed the
annexation of Mexico’s territory because of
the fear that slavery would spread into the
newly conquered region
Despite this opposition the U.S. Senate
ratified the treaty on March 10th 1848 by a
vote of 38 to 14
President Polk and many prominent
members of Congress, especially
southerners, were disappointed that more
Mexican land was not included in the
agreement (Manifest Destiny!)
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Oldest treaty still in effect between the U.S. and
Mexico
Approximately 75,000 Mexicans were included
in the territory (Approximately 20% of Mexico’s
population)
2000 Mexicans decided to leave; many of them
settled in the town of Old Mesilla
The terms of the treaty stated that Mexicans
living in the ceded territory had one year to
choose whether to return to Mexico or remain
in the U.S.
Mexicans electing to remain would be given
U.S. citizenship (long before Asians, AfricanAmericans and Native Americans) but most of
these individuals and their decedents faced
discrimination and hostility by Anglo-Americans
who settled in the region
Most of these families lost the titles of their
land to Anglo-Americans despite the
guarantees provided by the treaty (Almost all of
the lawsuits resulted in a favorable judgment
for the Anglos)
The riches of the Seven Cities of Cibola and Gran
Quivira which eluded the Spanish for so long were
discovered in the form of lucrative gold strikes in
newly conquered California
 The famous Sutter’s Mill gold discovery was made the
same year the treaty was signed-1848!
 The loss of so much valuable territory ensured that
Mexico would remain an undeveloped country for the
next 150 years
 Ulysses S. Grant who fought in the U.S. Mexican War
later stated that the war was, “the most unjust waged
by a stronger against a weaker nation”
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Named for James Gadsden, U.S.
ambassador to Mexico at the time
and a pro-slavery southerner
 U.S. wanted the Mesilla Valley,
obsentisbly for a southern
transcontinental railroad to connect
El Paso, Texas to California
 The region provided the most feasible
route to avoid the Rocky Mountain
barrier and was heavily promoted by
Secretary of War Jefferson Davis
(future president of the CSA)
 U.S. was also interested in the
mineral wealth located in northern
Sonora and southern New Mexico,
especially the Santa Rita copper
mines
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Gadsden was originally authorized to
offer $50 million for large swaths of
northern Mexico, Baja California, and
the port of Guaymas, Sonora
 In 1853 President Santa Anna was
cash strapped and facing numerous
rebellions against his government
 Santa Anna tried to forge alliances
with Europe, especially Great Britain,
for fear that the U.S. would provoke
another war in its desire to seize more
territory
 Ultimately the “Napoleon of the
West” was unable to secure any
meaningful alliances that would
protect his nation from any U.S.
aggression
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The original survey establishing the border
according to the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo was incorrectly drawn and territory
which was suppose to stay with Mexico
was given to the U.S. (surprise…surprise!!)
 The inaccuracies in the original survey also
resulted in disputed territory which
involved a few thousand square miles
including the town of Mesilla
 New Mexico’s territorial governor William
Carr Lane claimed the town and
threatened to go to war with Chihuahuawar between the two nations seemed
imminent
 The administration of Franklin Pierce
wanted to establish a more “natural
border” with Mexico, such as a mountain
range, but this would have required Mexico
losing much of its northern frontier
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The Mexican government agreed to
the sale of the Mesilla Valley
including access to the Gulf of
California (Sea of Cortez) for $15
million
 The U.S. Senate reduced the amount
to $10 million (242 million in 2006
dollars) and so the Mexican
government stripped the territory
connecting Senora to Baja California
 If the U.S. Congress had paid the full
amount, Arizona would have had
beachfront property including the
resort of Puerto Penasco
 On April 17th 1854 the U.S. Senate
voted 27 to 18 to ratify the new treaty
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The finalized purchase amounted to 29,670
square miles of territory acquired by the
U.S.
The territory includes such modern cities as
Mesilla, Tucson, Bisbee, Douglas,
Tombstone, and Yuma
The treaty also annulled parts of the
original Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
including absolving the U.S. government
from financial responsibility to Mexico for
damages caused by Native American raids
originating from U.S. territory
The treaty establishes the current U.S.Mexico border starting west of El Paso,
Texas- forming part of the southern
boundary of New Mexico and all of the
southern boundary of Arizona
Oddly, very little of the Southern Pacific
Railroad completed through the region in
the 1880s actually passed through the
Gadsden Purchase territory
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