(Trends Wide Spanish) — The United States and Mexico are celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations this Monday, with both countries grappling with common problems like border security, and with relations that extend beyond the diplomatic. The history of the relationship between these two countries has had controversial episodes throughout history, ranging from the struggle for recognition, the seizure of territories to immigration and labor problems.
The history of these two border countries dates back to 1822, with the first recognition of an independent Mexico, when it had not yet won its independence from Spain, something that caused political divisions among some American leaders. The political disputes and the expansion of the United States in Mexican territory generated the breakdown of relations on several occasions, and even a war between the two countries towards the middle of the 19th century, according to the United States Department of State.
Now, this relationship has risen to one of the most important for each country, with Mexico being one of the “most important and valuable allies” for the United States, with which it shares a border of some 3,200 km, with 47 ports of entry. , which impacts millions of people.
These are some milestones in relations between Mexico and the United States in 200 years.
The recognition of Mexico by the US
On December 12, 1822, the United States finally recognized Mexico as a State, under the government of President James Monroe, who received Manuel Zozaya as Mexico’s Minister to the United States, a milestone, taking into account Mexico’s failed attempts to The United States recognized this, largely due to the fact that some presidents remained neutral in the face of “hostilities” between Spanish forces and Mexican libertarians fighting for independence, according to the State Department.
“This changed when Napoleon Bonaparte led the French invasion of Spain in 1808, giving Latin Americans an opportunity to fight for independence from Spanish colonial rule,” says the US State Department’s history page.
But while Mexico sought its independence from Spanish rule, the United States and Spain debated the borders of the territories. So in 1819, under the Adams-Onis treaty, the United States ceded part of its territory to Spain, granting it the territories of California, New Mexico, Texas, and what would later be known as the states of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. according to the US Library of Congress.
In 1821 Mexico achieved its independence from Spain.
The Mexican-American War
For years, the migration story has been a source of contention between the two countries. Thus, in 1830, the then president of Mexico, Antonio López de Santa Anna, prohibited migration from the United States to Texas, which at that time was his territory, to stop the influx of English-speaking settlers, according to the C.F.R. In 1836 Texas declared itself independent from Mexico, and the following year the United States would recognize it as such, setting a precedent for what would become the US-Mexican War.
In 1845, when US President John Tyler signed a presidential resolution annexing Texas to US territory, Mexico severed diplomatic relations with its neighbor, and a year later, in 1846, the Mexican-American War broke out, when Mexican troops attacked the which they perceived as a threat from “invading” forces, and occupied territory that was claimed by both countries.
The war between the two countries lasted two years and in 1848 the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty was signed by which Mexico, fragmented by the loss of the war, had to hand over a vast area of its territory to the United States, which included the states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and part of Colorado and Wyoming, and establishing the border between both countries in the Rio Grande.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were resumed in 1848 after the signing of the Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty, once the war ended, and when the president of the United States, James K. Polk accepted the credentials of the special envoy and plenipotentiary minister of Mexico to United States, Luis de la Rosa.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were suspended on other occasions (1858-1859; 1899, 1914-1917), this last year being restored to the present.
Economic dependence
The commercial exchange of the two countries has been vital in the bilateral economy, with economic ties dating back years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, after territorial disputes and with the development of the railway industry in the United States, that country sought labor in Mexico to work in this industry, due to the shortage of Chinese workers due to the Law of Chinese exclusion of 1882 that stopped immigration from that country to the United States.
It is estimated that by the early 1900s, 60% of the US railroad workforce was of Mexican origin, according to the CFR.
Currently, Mexico is the second largest trading partner of the United States, with bilateral trade representing US$506 billion by 2020. That year, Mexico was one of the top three export markets for the United States, according to figures from the Mexican government.
Additionally, in the first five months of 2022, tourism from American travelers generated nearly $11.5 billion in revenue for Mexico, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism. It is on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels.
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(Trends Wide Spanish) — The United States and Mexico are celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations this Monday, with both countries grappling with common problems like border security, and with relations that extend beyond the diplomatic. The history of the relationship between these two countries has had controversial episodes throughout history, ranging from the struggle for recognition, the seizure of territories to immigration and labor problems.
The history of these two border countries dates back to 1822, with the first recognition of an independent Mexico, when it had not yet won its independence from Spain, something that caused political divisions among some American leaders. The political disputes and the expansion of the United States in Mexican territory generated the breakdown of relations on several occasions, and even a war between the two countries towards the middle of the 19th century, according to the United States Department of State.
Now, this relationship has risen to one of the most important for each country, with Mexico being one of the “most important and valuable allies” for the United States, with which it shares a border of some 3,200 km, with 47 ports of entry. , which impacts millions of people.
These are some milestones in relations between Mexico and the United States in 200 years.
The recognition of Mexico by the US
On December 12, 1822, the United States finally recognized Mexico as a State, under the government of President James Monroe, who received Manuel Zozaya as Mexico’s Minister to the United States, a milestone, taking into account Mexico’s failed attempts to The United States recognized this, largely due to the fact that some presidents remained neutral in the face of “hostilities” between Spanish forces and Mexican libertarians fighting for independence, according to the State Department.
“This changed when Napoleon Bonaparte led the French invasion of Spain in 1808, giving Latin Americans an opportunity to fight for independence from Spanish colonial rule,” says the US State Department’s history page.
But while Mexico sought its independence from Spanish rule, the United States and Spain debated the borders of the territories. So in 1819, under the Adams-Onis treaty, the United States ceded part of its territory to Spain, granting it the territories of California, New Mexico, Texas, and what would later be known as the states of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. according to the US Library of Congress.
In 1821 Mexico achieved its independence from Spain.
The Mexican-American War
For years, the migration story has been a source of contention between the two countries. Thus, in 1830, the then president of Mexico, Antonio López de Santa Anna, prohibited migration from the United States to Texas, which at that time was his territory, to stop the influx of English-speaking settlers, according to the C.F.R. In 1836 Texas declared itself independent from Mexico, and the following year the United States would recognize it as such, setting a precedent for what would become the US-Mexican War.
In 1845, when US President John Tyler signed a presidential resolution annexing Texas to US territory, Mexico severed diplomatic relations with its neighbor, and a year later, in 1846, the Mexican-American War broke out, when Mexican troops attacked the which they perceived as a threat from “invading” forces, and occupied territory that was claimed by both countries.
The war between the two countries lasted two years and in 1848 the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty was signed by which Mexico, fragmented by the loss of the war, had to hand over a vast area of its territory to the United States, which included the states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and part of Colorado and Wyoming, and establishing the border between both countries in the Rio Grande.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were resumed in 1848 after the signing of the Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty, once the war ended, and when the president of the United States, James K. Polk accepted the credentials of the special envoy and plenipotentiary minister of Mexico to United States, Luis de la Rosa.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were suspended on other occasions (1858-1859; 1899, 1914-1917), this last year being restored to the present.
Economic dependence
The commercial exchange of the two countries has been vital in the bilateral economy, with economic ties dating back years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, after territorial disputes and with the development of the railway industry in the United States, that country sought labor in Mexico to work in this industry, due to the shortage of Chinese workers due to the Law of Chinese exclusion of 1882 that stopped immigration from that country to the United States.
It is estimated that by the early 1900s, 60% of the US railroad workforce was of Mexican origin, according to the CFR.
Currently, Mexico is the second largest trading partner of the United States, with bilateral trade representing US$506 billion by 2020. That year, Mexico was one of the top three export markets for the United States, according to figures from the Mexican government.
Additionally, in the first five months of 2022, tourism from American travelers generated nearly $11.5 billion in revenue for Mexico, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism. It is on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels.
