I see this alleged by a number of pro-illegals here in the IMMIGRATION forum.
My answer:
1) The land was originally populated by Native Americans. They arguably have first claim, not the Mexicans
2) Huge chunks of the U.S. southwest were at various times claimed by Spain, Russia, Britain, France and the U.S., and was almost completely unsettled and unexplored until after 1800.
3) Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. Texas seceded from Mexico in 1835, so Mexico only had that territory for barely 15 years.
Moses Austin was granted land in Texas in 1821, the same year.
4) Texans (many of whom were ethnic Mexicans) would have been content to remain part of Mexico, if they were free to police their own state, instead of the Mexican army.
5) Mexico, against the advice of Britain and France to use diplomatic means to settle the Texas border dispute in 1846, attacked the U.S., giving the U.S. provocation to fight Mexico and later declare peace terms.
2007-08-26
18:08:24
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21 answers
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asked by
Stiffler
5
in
Immigration