The United States "stole" Texas ?

Question

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.

6) The United States, on taking California, New Mexico, and the other Southwest territory, paid Mexico 15 million dollars, and forgave 3.5 million in previous outstanding Mexican debt to the U.S.

7) In 1853, the U.S. --in a time of peace-- received more land from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase, for an additional 10 million dollars (Guadalupe Hidalgo offered the U.S. the additional territoty of Baja California for an additional 10 million dollars, but the U.S. declined)

My question is: given all these facts, how can anyone credibly allege that the U.S. "stole" these lands from Mexico?

Several other Yahoo Answers topics on this subject:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AisYZqJ1GIwiPSxYUO6PyK5IzKIX?qid=20070114221750AAVgLD0
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=At15JLakcLS3w2ZcoSxlmWVIzKIX?qid=20061115100123AAJsIcE
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiGH0iAikxnK5wP14kCNuW1IzKIX?qid=20060724004152AAtip1d http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApH9CmTWlTBGV3gP3jL2ALdIzKIX?qid=20070323215035AAx9nQS

links to related history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_Hidalgo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican-American_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Revolution

links to some of the pseudo-history and mythology of those who allege the U.S. southwest was "stolen":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista_%28Mexico%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztl%C3%A1n

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexica_Movement

(Kathe H said: )
"They were natives, yes, but in our tradition of naming natives, they were native MEXICANS.
Oh, and if you are interested in the claim that American Indians have on the land we live on, go read about the trail of tears. "

(my answer: )
As Cheyenne_Z said, what you state is not correct. Mestizo, Mayan and Aztec tribes never settled or colonized this far north into what's now the continental U.S.
And for your information, I'm part Cherokee, so I'm more than familiar with the "trail of tears". That doesn't give Mexico any greater claim in the lands they lost in 1948. Two separate events.

Correction: that Mexico lost in 1848.

And link to the trail of tears Cherokee migration:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears

(Kathe H said: )
"And a big point that I feel you missed is that we are a country made of immigrants. No white or black or hispanic or asian (etc.) person was here even a thousand years ago, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Most of our relatives got here well within the last three centuries. And what about 'Bring me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free'? "

(my answer: )
Important distinction from your what you misrepresent:
We are a nation of LEGAL immigrants !

The United States allows immigration at a level it can manage and absorb without de-stabilizing itself, at this writing about 1.2 LEGAL immigrants a year.
The others have violated our laws and have no right to be here.

Since we accept more legal immigrants than the other nations of the world combined, there is no reason for them not to enter in compliance with our laws.
There are security reasons we limit immigration, despite how many LEGALs we welcome here.

CHEYENNE_Z:
You identify yourself as Native American, and while I am part Cherokee and have pride in that (five generations back, to 1820) I identify myself as European (English, Irish, German and Dutch). Regardless, your points are well made.

A U.S. Representative talks about the threat of these groups who talk about "taking back" the U.S. southwest, bsed on inflammatory pseudo-history that it was "stolen":
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=13863

Answer 1

Mexico has no claim on Texas or any other inch of US lands. It never belonged to Mexico to begin with, it does not belong to Mexico now, it will never belong to Mexico. They need to get over it and move on.
Like maybe it's about time for Mexicans to make a decent country down there, they have been a nation for about as long as the USA has been, and look at the difference. So much for "hard working". Guess that is a glaring exhibit of who is lazy and who is not.

And for anyone who is thinking about posting that Mexico has been a nation longer than the USA...... nope, wrong, it was called Nueva Espania (New Spain) NOT "Mexico" and it belonged to the european nation of Spain.

note: to some guy. The hispanics from Europe stole the land of the First Nations in the US southwest, including Texas, and they slaughtered our U.S.native American indian tribes, and after the hispanics left back to Europe, Mexicans STOLE our lands and slaughtered our tribes.

So maybe you want to get a little education on the history of this continent?

Edit: to Kathy H; EXCUSE ME! As a U.S. native American indian let me set you straight and you might learn something.
What you wrote is offensive and insulting to every single U.S. native American indian alive today and offensive to our ancestors and our tribes.
Our tribes on the lands which are now US land were NEVER "Mexican indians" - NEVER.
Mexican indians were NEVER indigenous to any land which is the USA now.
There has NEVER been any tribe with homelands on what is now US land called "Mexican" or aztec, or mayan, or toltec, or mextec, or meztiso,or hispanic, or latino,
YOU THINK YOU GOT THAT?

We were FIRST NATIONS, our tribes were NEVER Mexican, and Mexicans were never indigenous to our tribal homelands.

Answer 2

Didn't everyone know the meaning behind the Six Flags of Texas? Maybe the amusement park should hand out a booklet about the history surrounding the name. It would like be a public service except for not representing the native americans. They didn't use a flag since they used just the resources they needed to survive and no more....

Not that it matters, hispanic minority is now current majority in Texas. This year K class makes it official. When they can vote and they will, Texas politics will look a lot different. Wondering how bitter those six year olds are going to be when mom and dad and family are deported? What a big mess!

Answer 3

"The land was originally populated by Native Americans. They arguably have first claim, not the Mexicans"

They were natives, yes, but in our tradition of naming natives, they were native MEXICANS.
Oh, and if you are interested in the claim that American Indians have on the land we live on, go read about the trail of tears.

And a big point that I feel you missed is that we are a country made of immigrants. No white or black or hispanic or asian (etc.) person was here even a thousand years ago, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Most of our relatives got here well within the last three centuries. And what about "Bring me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free"?

Answer 4

I wouldn't try to discourage it. Just getting away from the spoiled and sheltered little children in adult bodies out here in Ecotopia, California would be a great benefit. They live in a fairy tale la-la land and their kind are helping destroy the whole country. Federal funding comes from the people, like all funding. Texans are probably paying more than their share of "federal funding" so they would come out gaining if they weren't paying funds going to deficit states.

Answer 5

Reread fact 5, Mexico attacked the US. Texas became a spoil of war, put in play by Mexico. If you lose money gambling, you don't get it back, so Mexico can forget about Texas. Besides, if Mexico got Texas back, the illegals would only have farther to run.

Answer 6

Here are my 2 cents: I went to school in Mexico. I literally had a teacher scream at me- SCREAM- that it was stolen land: Texas, California, etc. I don't recall specifically what the story is, but, it is taught from young grades that, yes, we STOLE these areas by trickery... They do not accept that there was ever money exchanged. I found this to be one of the strangest things I learned while there. People are quite adamant about this issue.

Answer 7

By your logic, the entire USA is "stolen." Actually, Texas has flown six different countries' flags in its rather interesting history: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States.

Answer 8

!Viva Mexico! !Viva Reconqiista! Viva La Republica de Texas.
Your absolutely right. Mexico had Texas, California and several other states only a very few years and did nothing with them. Throw the boarder jumpers back over the fence

PS One of my husbands ancestors was Dolly Dobson, the woman that sewed the first lone star flag after the battle of San Jacinto.

Answer 9

This Aztlan stuff is about a real as Oz.

Any real Texan wouldn't let a sentence be finished in which the subject suggested a Mexico takeback.

Texans pack if you get my drift.

Answer 10

Yeah, sure, and the US stole Illinois as well. Deal with the current problem at hand. Like go back from where you came if you came here illegally. You are a criminal trespasser and you are lucky you were not shot trying to come in. If we tried to break into a country, other than the generous US, getting shot would be a real and plausible situation.