Our series on territorial formation takes us to Mexico in 1844, just before the Mexican-American War took away most of its northern provinces.
Texas, having been settled by both Mexican ranchers and by settlers coming from the southern United States, had declared secession in 1836. By 1845, it joined the USA as the State of Texas. Large parts of sparsely populated lands in the western part of the state were in dispute with the Mexican province of Nuevo Mexico.
The northern provinces of Nuevo Mexico and Alta California were very far from Mexico City and administratively neglected. With an eye of reaching the Pacific, and taking advantage of political instability in Mexico, the United States declared war and easily defeated the Mexican army. The peace treaty of 1848 awarded the two northern provinces to the USA, who would create six states out of these lands: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, California and Nevada.
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Mexico in 1844
