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T R E A T Y O F G U A D A L U P E

H I D A L G O

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In the name of Almighty God:

The United States of America and the United Mexican States, animated by a

sincere desire to put an end to the calamities of the war which unhappily exists

between the two Republics, and to establish upon a solid basis relations of

peace and friendship, which shall confer reciprocal benefits upon the citizens of

both, and assure the concord, harmony, and mutual confidence wherein the

two peoples should live, as good neighbours, have for that purpose appointed

their respective plenipotentiaries…who, after a reciprocal communication of

their respective full powers, have, under the protection of Almighty God, the

author of peace, arranged, agreed upon, and signed the following Treaty of

Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America

and the Mexican Republic.

A R T I C L E I

There shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of America

and the Mexican Republic, and between their respective countries, territories,

cities, towns, and people, without exception of places or persons.…

A R T I C L E V

The boundary line between the two Republics shall commence in the Gulf of

Mexico, three leagues from land, opposite the mouth of the Rio Grande,

otherwise called Rio Bravo del Norte, or opposite the mouth of its deepest

branch if it should have more than one branch emptying directly into the sea;

from thence up the middle of that river, following the deepest channel, where it

has more than one, to the point where it strikes the southern boundary of New

Mexico; thence, westwardly, along the whole southern boundary of New

Mexico (which runs north of the town called Paso) to its western termination;

thence, northward, along the western line of New Mexico, until it intersects the

first branch of the river Gila; (or if it should not intersect any branch of that

river, then to the point on the said line nearest to such branch. and thence in a

direct line to the same;) thence down the middle of the said branch and of the

said river, until it empties into the Rio Colorado; thence across the Rio

Colorado, following the division line between Upper and Lower California, to

the Pacific Ocean.…

And, in order to preclude all difficulty in tracing upon the ground the limit

separating Upper from Lower California, it is agreed that the said limit shall

consist of a straight line drawn from the middle of the Rio Gila, where it unites

with the Colorado, to a point on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, distant one

marine league due south of the southernmost point of the port of San Diego.…

In order to designate the boundary line with due precision…the two

Governments shall each appoint a commissioner and a surveyor, who…shall

meet at the port of San Diego, and proceed to run and mark the said boundary

in its whole course to the mouth of the Rio Bravo del Norte. They shall keep

journals and make out plans of their operations; and the result agreed upon by

them shall be deemed a part of this treaty, and shall have the same force as if it

were inserted therein. The two Governments will amicably agree regarding

what may be necessary to these persons, and also as to their respective escorts,

should such be necessary.…

A R T I C L E V I I I

Mexicans now established in territories previously belonging to Mexico, and

which remain for the future within the limits of the United States, as defined by

the present treaty, shall be free to continue where they now reside, or to

remove at any time to the Mexican Republic, retaining the property which they

possess.…

Those who shall prefer to remain in the said territories may either retain the

title and rights of Mexican citizens, or acquire those of citizens of the United

States. But they shall be under the obligation to make their election within one

year from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this treaty; and those who

shall remain in the said territories after the expiration of that year, without

having declared their intention to retain the character of Mexicans, shall be

considered to have elected to become citizens of the United States.…

A R T I C L E I X

The Mexicans who, in the territories aforesaid, shall not preserve the

character of citizens of the Mexican Republic, conformably with what is

stipulated in the preceding article, shall be incorporated into the Union of the

United States, and be admitted at the proper time (to be judged of by the

Congress of the United States) to the enjoyment of all the rights of citizens of the

United States, according to the principles of the Constitution; and in the mean

time, shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty

and property, and secured in the free exercise of their religion without

restriction....

A R T I C L E X X I I I

...In faith whereof we, the respective Plenipotentiaries, have signed this treaty

of peace, friendship, limits, and settlement, and have hereunto affixed our seals

respectively. Done in quintuplicate, at the city of Guadalupe Hidalgo, on the

second day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred

and forty-eight