ABSTRACT
The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that marked the end of the war between Mexico and the United States did more than just amend the border between both countries. This chapter analyzes the new dynamics of interaction in the post-war U.S.–Mexican borderlands by focusing on the ways the new boundary impacted issues like cattle rustling, smuggling, Indian raids into Mexican territory, and filibustering and secessionist movements in certain Mexican border states, as well as the political consequences that the revamped border had on the region and its links with the central government. This chapter demonstrates how the “forgotten years” were critical to the development of the region and proved decisive in shaping the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. As argued here, the integration of the Mexican and U.S. economies, which took place in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, took its first decisive steps during this period.
