'America stole our land'. Agree/disagree?

Question

One piece of rhetoric out there is that the United States stole land from Mexico. Did Spain make a mistake by giving up Mexico?

Answer 1

Did Russia make a mistake selling us Alaska, the state that provides 8% of the United States domestic oil ? Should we go back and redistrict the boundaries of nations would this make Mexico happy ? Or would they turn Texas into what they have now and start crossing over into Oklahoma ? The idea of entitlement to land in light of advancing cultures and nations is pointless. If the roles had been reversed would we be having this conversation ? It's really pointless and one more smoke screen to argue entitlement to status in a country one isn't native to. Society advances cultures advance and the spoils of war go to the victors it's how the world works. Pulling up historically dated facts really only serves to prevent your advancement as a culture and in the end only to lose you more then you would have gained by dealing with what is.

Answer 2

Texas was an independent country following the revolution against Mexico. Texas made the choice to join the United States. So the United States did not steal anything from Mexico.

Good grief! What did you people learn in history class? So many of you either have no knowledge of, or have forgotten that Texans fought a war for independence against Mexico. I now see why so many people say we have a problem in our schools.

The Treaty Of Guadelupe Hidalgo is related to disputed land in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming, as well as the whole of California, Nevada, and Utah. The United States won the war, the treaty ended hostilies. The treaty was ratified by both the United States and Mexico. The dispute comes from article 10 which stated that the United States would honor land grants made to Mexican and Spanish citizens by their respected governements. However this article was not included in the treaty when Congress radified it. It is truism about war that the victors generally dictate the terms. Perhaps a case could be made that lands were taken from resident aliens who may have chosen not to be US citizens. The US did not steal anything from Mexico or Spain.

Answer 3

No, America did not steal land from Mexico... they beat the hell out of the Mexicans first and then forced them to sign the treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo which stole the lands from Mexico and ended the Mexican/American war in 1848.

However, the U.S. did buy that little funny looking bit that is the south edge of New Mexico when they completed the Gadston Purchase and gave Mexico 12 Million Dollars for several hundred square miles of sand and sagebrush.

Besides that, Spain did not give up Mexico... they got thrown out of Mexico.

You need to learn your history a bit better before you post a bunch of nonsense and try to attribute it to some authorative third person.

The theory that America stole land from Mexico comes from some contested lines in the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo that look like the words were either erased or covered over with whitewash and new words written it that changed the treaty from granting the lands previously owned by the mexicans back to them and now says that those lands belong to the texans who were living on them at the time of the treaty. I've see the actual document and it does look suspicious.

Answer 4

Mexico didn't give a crap about the land in California, Arizona and New Mexico, and treated Texas so bad that they rebelled and declared independence.

Also, at that time period, Mexico averaged a revolution every 10 years. They didn't have the organization to govern the northern region.

Mexico is like the little child who doesn't care about his toys until they are taken away from him.

Did America steal the land? America paid Mexico $15 million in 1848 dollars and forgave another $3 million in debt for land that didn't want to be part of Mexico and that Mexico didn't give a rat's hairy hole about.

Answer 5

DISAGREE! Since when is winning land during battle considered stealing? The US won the Mexican War and paid Mexico for the rest of the land. All´s fair in love and war. If Spain had never conquered Mexico, all the land they claim that we stole from them never would have been theirs to begin with.

Answer 6

Spain didn't "give up" Mexico- they lost it- flat out! America 1/2 stole 1/2 paid for the land from Mexico... It's been so long I think doing anything about it now would be silly... I just think the US should give more aid to Mexico- We share a border, we're on the same continent and yet they are in far worse condition economically, socially, politcally etc... Maybe if we helped out a little or focused some on creating better relations with our neighbours to the south then this whole immigration debate wouldn't be so volitale?!?!?!?

Answer 7

No-One "Stole" Anything

Thats Just More Propaganda From The Left

Spain Made No Mistakes
They Didnt WANT Mexico

Neither Did The USA

Otherwise We Would Have Conquered The Entire Nation
And It Would Be Part Of The USA Today

Answer 8

Boo hoo for Mexico. Spain couldn't hold Mexico and lost it. Mexico could not hold it's land and lost it. In the 19th century, territorial gain by conquest was still a legitimate way for a nation to expand. Let's face it, two rival powers trying to dominate this continent would have caused a lot more instability. The US won and Mexico lost, they need to get over it.

Answer 9

Everyone has stolen land from someone else at some point or another. The US either won the land in war (legitimate taking) or actually PURCHASED the land (also legitimate). The Mexicans are just screaming and crying in an attempt to make the uneducated in America and the rest of the world feel bad for them since they are not allowed to enter a sovereign nation illegally.

Did Spain make a mistake? I would say not. Would you want to be in charge of that hellhole?

Answer 10

From my knowledge, Mexico stole it from Spain LOL

I wouldn't call a war and paying off the land that Mexico agreed on, stealing...

--Rob