Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

In 1848, following the Mexican-American War, Santa Anna signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.  The agreement between the two countries gave the United States millions of square miles of Mexican land (about one-third of the "contiguous 48") including the present states of Texas (which thereafter ceased to be an independent Republic), New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Utah plus parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma.

This photo depicts the original treaty.  The parties signed the document nine days after gold was discovered in California.

Credits

Image online, courtesy Library of Congress.