Let’s put to rest this debate over who owns certain land areas of our nation! Mexico claims they are the rightful owners of vast expanses of the Southwest; that the United States stole those lands in the mid-1800s, following the U.S.-Mexican War, which Mexico lost!

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended hostilities between the United States and. Mexico, a conflict lasting from 1846 to 1848.

In that treaty, Mexico sold to the U.S. territories covering all or parts of what became Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming, in exchange for payment of $18,250,000. Additionally, the U.S. agreed to forgive unpaid claims against the Mexican government and, further, to exonerate Mexico from claims made by U.S. citizens against Mexico prior to the treaty.

This should put to rest the ill-conceived notion that the United States stole these lands from Mexico!

My source for this information: Collier’s Encyclopedia.

Paul Westrum

Albert Lea