Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848 ended the Mexican-American War ( 1846-1848 ). After the defeats that Mexico had suffered in the war, the Mexican government had no other option but to sign the contract.

The contract was (now a district of Mexico City) signed on February 2, 1848 on the altar of the old cathedral in the city of Guadalupe Hidalgo by Nicholas Trist for the United States and Luis G. Cuevas, Bernardo Couto and Miguel Atristain for Mexico and on March 10, ratified by the Senate of the United States and on 19 May by the Mexican government.

The treaty laid the Texas border at the Rio Grande. The current state of California ( Alta California) and the whole area between Texas and California became a U.S. American. So the United States of America received more than half of the Mexican territory: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Texas and part of Colorado and Wyoming.

In return, the United States paid Mexico $ 15 million ( in today's purchasing power U.S. $ 475 million ) and agreed to pay all Americans, in which Mexico still claims had open. For this, the U.S. government had to spend ( in today's purchasing power U.S. $ 103 million ) more $ 3,250,000.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo also gave the Mexicans who lived in present southwestern United States, the opportunity to opt, ie either emigrate within a year to Mexico or to accept the American nationality. Most were U.S. citizens.

1853 acquired the United States in the Gadsden Purchase some other areas of Mexico and established the border on the line is still valid today.