May 19: Border Wars

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is May 19th, and our story is Border Wars. Some said it was hubris. Others called it destiny. Either way, on May 19, 1848, the U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby ending the Mexican-American War, establishing new boundary lines between the United States and Mexico, and adding 525,000 square miles to the nation.

That square mileage was in addition to the 389,000 square miles added when the United States annexed the Republic of Texas three years earlier. The 1845 annexation of Texas had started the war between the United States and its southern neighbor. Mexico, which had never recognized Texas independence, warned the United States that it would view annexation as an act of war. The United States ignored that warning, and in 1846, Mexican troops attacked. The war didn't last long. Americans controlled California and New Mexico within months, and American troops arrived in Mexico City by early 1847.

Negotiations over the borders and the sale of Mexican territory to America, however, proved more difficult. Not until February 1848 did President James Polk have a treaty in hand. The final treaty fixed the Texas-Mexico border at the Rio Grande River and resulted in the United States purchasing all or part of the present-day states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.

The cost? $15 million, plus $3.5 million in debt assumption. At the time the treaty was signed, some 80,000 to 100,000 Catholic Mexicans lived in the purchased territory. The treaty offered them the choice of full U.S. citizenship or relocation to Mexico.

Over 90% chose to become U.S. citizens. The treaty, which had long-term implications for the geographic, cultural, and religious makeup of the United States, was made public on July 4, 1848. This story challenges us to think about how our decisions, even small ones, affect the faith and well-being of others, locally and globally.

Reflect today on how you can support religious freedom or the dignity of others in your community. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, May 20th, for another story of faith and courage in America.