The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo…

was signed on this date in 1848. Its provisions called for Mexico to cede 55% of its territory (present-day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado, Nevada and Utah) in exchange for $15 million in compensation for war-related damage to Mexican property. Other provisions stipulated the Rio Grande as the Texas border, protection for the property and civil rights of Mexican nationals living in the United States and a U.S. promise to police its side of the border.

The Library of Congress has an on-line exhibition of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The site was the source for the summary of the Treaty above. To see an image of the map used in the negotiations, click here.