User:Wayne Miller/Drafts/Territorial evolution of Mexico

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This is a timeline of the territorial evolution of the borders of Mexico, listing each change to the internal and external borders of the country.

[edit] Notes

Many of the borders of states and territories in northern Mexico remain unclear; the northern border of Sonora, for example, is variously described as either the Gila River or the Colorado River. The list is not impacted by this confusion, but the associated maps could be, and must estimate the borders. The most important issues are:
- Some of the borders of the states in the northern and northeastern extremes prior to Texan independence and the Mexican Cession.
- The extent of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
Minor border adjustments with the United States, including the several Rio Grande border disputes, are not shown.

[edit] Timeline

Date	Description	Map
October 4, 1824	The 1824 Constitution of Mexico was enacted, creating the United Mexican States and replacing the Mexican Empire, which had collapsed on March 19, 1823. The constitution organized the country into 19 states and four territories. In the aftermath of the end of the empire, Central American regions mostly voted not to stay a part of Mexico, with Chiapas, formerly part of Guatamala, being the only area that favored remaining in Mexico. However, rebels in one part of Chiapas, Soconusco, proclaimed its separation from Mexico on July 24, 1824, and it was formally annexed by the Federal Republic of Central America on August 18, 1824. The founding states were: Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila y Tejas, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, México, Michoacán de Ocampo, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro Arteaga, San Luis Potosí, Sonora y Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Yucatán, Zacatecas. The four territories were Alta California, Baja California, Santa Fe de Nuevo México, and Colima.
November 18, 1824	The Federal District (Distrito Federal) was created around Mexico City (Ciudad de México), separating it from the state of México.
November 24, 1824	The territory of Tlaxcala was split from the state of Puebla.
September 30, 1830	The state of Sonora y Sinaloa was split into two states, Sinaloa and Sonora.
May 23, 1835	The territory of Aguascalientes was split from the state of Jalisco.
March 2, 1836	Due to disapproval of the government of Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Tejas region of the state of Coahuila y Tejas declared independence. The remainder is renamed Coahuila de Zaragoza, or simply Coahuila. The Treaties of Velasco would signify the end of the Texas Revolution on May 14, 1836, creating the Republic of Texas.
January 17, 1840	Voicing the same concerns as Texas, the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas declared independence from Mexico as the Republic of the Rio Grande; since the border of Texas was never conclusively decided, they claim a northern border of the Nueces River, while Texas claims a southern border of the Rio Grande.
November 6, 1840	The Republic of the Rio Grande rejoins Mexico after short and failed war of independence.
September 11, 1842	The district of Soconusco rejoins Mexico as part of the state of Chiapas.
December 29, 1845	The United States of America annexes the Republic of Texas, admitting it as the state of Texas. Texas continues to claim a large portion of Mexican territory. This annexation helps trigger the Mexican-American War.
January 1, 1846	The state of Yucatán declares independence, for the same reasons as the Republic of Texas and Republic of the Rio Grande, forming the Republic of Yucatán.
February 2, 1848	The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo formally ends the Mexican-American War, forcing great concessions on Mexico. All disputes with Texas are abandoned; the border between the U.S. state of Texas and Mexico is set at the Rio Grande, officially transferring portions of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas to the United States. Furthermore, the United States received what is now referred to as the Mexican Cession, equivalent to all of the territories of Alta California and Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
August 17, 1848	The Republic of Yucatán rejoined Mexico after the Caste War of Yucatán forced them to seek outside help.
December 30, 1853	The United States bought the Gadsden Purchase for $10 million, transferring a large parcel of Sonora and Chihuahua to the United States.
February 12, 1857	The 1857 Constitution of Mexico was adopted, reorganizing some states. Nuevo León is merged into Coahuila; Aguascalientes, Colima, and Tlaxcala all have their status changed from territory to state; and the state of Guerrero is created from portions of México and Puebla.
April 29, 1863	The state of Campeche was split from Yucatán.
February 26, 1864	The state of Nuevo León was re-split from Coahuila.
January 15, 1869	The state of Hidalgo was split from the state of México.
April 16, 1869	The state of Morelos was split from the state of México.
December 12, 1884	The territory of Tepic was split from the state of Jalisco.
November 24, 1902	The territory of Quintana Roo was split from the state of Yucatán.
February 5, 1917	The territory of Tepic had its name and status changed to the state of Nayarit.
February 7, 1931	The territory of Baja California Sur was split from the territory of Baja California.
November 21, 1952	The territory of Baja California became a state.
October 8, 1974	The territories of Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo became states, giving Mexico its present-day situation.