What Was the Result of the Mexican American War?
The result of the Mexican American War was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which stated that Mexico had to give up land to the United States, including Texas. That land now makes up the states of California, Utah and Nevada, as well as parts of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona. The treaty also established the national border of Mexico at the Rio Grande River.
The Mexican American War lasted from 1846 to 1848, with the treaty concluding the war on February 2, 1848. According to Kennedy Hickman, there were many casualties as a result of the war: 1,773 Americans killed and 4,152 injured. Mexican reports are less accurate, but their casualties are around 25,000 killed or injured.
Another major result of the Mexican American War is the political and military inequality that still exists between the two countries. When it came to creating the treaty, United States leaders viewed it as a moral opportunity: manifest destiny opening the door for more expansion. Still, since the United States was victorious in the war, they decided Mexico would cede almost half of their land, 500,000 square miles, to the United States for a mere $15 million in return. This treaty forever changed the size and future of both the United States and Mexico.
