Talk:Territorial acquisitions of the United States

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[edit] Seriousness of this Article

This article is very serious and needs to be handled carefully. It is important that contributors not make spurious claims which could be misinterpreted. The article also needs to be cleaned up a bit. -CharlesRobertCountofNesselrode

[edit] Should Cuba

Should Cuba,of the U.S. Additional ones would be The Phillipines, the Panama Canal Zone, Okinawa...

There also is no mention on this page of the territorial acquisition of northern Maine, which historically has been included in textbooks concerning the growth of the U.S. I think it should be added.--Firsfron 06:34, 6 Jan 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Help request

I'm working on a page which explains the western land claims surrended by the original Thirteen Colonies in the early years of the American republic. As I've researched, it's become clear to me that there would be no better way to do this than to have a map. Is there anyone out there who knows how to do this, has software which is helpful, digs cartography or knows where I can find a public domain version of this material? I've found several examples on the web. My vomit draft of the page--did I mention it was a vomit draft?--is at User:Jengod/State_cessions. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.


[edit] Causes of the Mexican American War

It is true that Santa Anna said that the annexation of Texas would be the same as declaring war. BUT the annexation of Texas was NOT the cause of the Mexican-American War. It was a dispute concerning the borders of the new state of Texas that caused it. According to the Mexicans it was the Nueces River, according to the Americans it was the Rio Grande (south of Nueces). When the American army moved south into what Mexicans considered their territory, they attacked them. This event sparked the Mexican-American War.

Not only is this true, but the area outlined as the Texas Annexation is probably overstated as well. The Rio Grande was the claimed boundary of the Republic of Texas, but Mexico's claim -- which corresponded much more realistically to the reality on the ground -- was the Neuces River. I should say I'm not trying to say which party was "right", just explain what each side actually controlled. For instance, Santa Fe, which the capital of the Mexican state of New Mexico and under Mexican control from Texas independence to the Mexican-American War, is to the east of the Rio Grande and thus part of the "Texas Annexation" on this map.
In practice, since the Mexican-American War followed almost immediately on the heels of the Texas Annexation, there isn't too much potential for confusion in terms of when areas were annexed to the United States, but it does misrepresent how much land Texas actually controlled. --Jfruh 22:45, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

I deleted this claim. --Dúnadan (formerly Alonso) 22:26, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Central Colorado

The jist of what happened is this: The Louisiana Purchase granted the US all lands drained by the Mississippi River. What was and was not drained by the Mississippi was not precisisely mapped out in all areas, even many years after the land was aquired in 1803. In 1819 when Florida was acquired, the US and Spain signed a treaty creating a clear boundary between their possesions, since the Mississippi basin was still not precisly defined. The US ceded a portion of the Louisiana Purchase to Spain along this new boundary. However, the tiny area of Colorado in question later was proven NOT to be drained by the Mississippi, yet it fell on the US side of the new boundary with Spain. So the central question is this: Did Spain have any claim to that land before the 1819 treaty? If so, then the creation of the new boundary could be construed as Spain granting that land to the US, and it should probably be listed in lands acquired in the 1819 Florida treaty, and not seprately. However, if Spain did not have any claim to that piece of Colorado, then it was never theirs to grant the US...which would mean the US just assumed the land. My guess is that anything west of Louisiana was Spain by default...but I am not certain if this.

Thank you muchly for this information. Have you considered adding it to the Louisiana Purchase article? Until I saw that map, I'd never known there was a "missing" piece of the puzzle, although, considering how vague some of the treaties were and how unreliable surveying could be, it's a miracle there aren't more. jengod 22:21, 3 October 2005 (UTC)


The relevant passage from the Adam-Onis Treaty of 1919 for the Colorado portion is as follows:

"...thence, following the course of the southern bank of the Arkansas, to its source, in latitude 42 north; and thence, by that parallel of latitude, to the South Sea. The whole being as laid down in Melish's map of the United States, published at Philadelphia, improved to the first of January, 1818. But if the source of the Arkansas River shall be found to fall north or south of latitude 42, then the line shall run from the said source due south or north, as the case may be, till it meets the said parallel of latitude 42, and thence, along the said parallel, to the South Sea:"

In other words, the treaty was drawn up using a map that was inaccurate. The source of the Arkansas River is not at 42 degrees north, therefore the proper boundary would be to draw a line from the Arkansas River source, due north to 42 degrees north, then due west to the Pacific ocean. Spain ceeded everything north and east of that line, while the United States ceeded everything south and west. Hence, the mystery of the acquisition of central Colorado is solved. The relevant section in the article should be changed to reflect this formal acquisition through the Adams-Onis treaty. --Kbrooks 20:25, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Extra "Original" Territory

How did the U.S. obtain the territory other than the 13 colonies that now make up the original U.S. land area?

The acquisition of lands between the original thirteen colonies (as defined by the proclamation of 1763) and the Mississippi River is detailed in the Treaty of Paris of 1783, Article II. --Kbrooks 20:35, 17 April 2006 (UTC)
For more info see the State cessions article. --Jfruh 21:07, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Does Taiwan Meet the Criteria to Qualify as an "Overseas Territory of the United States"

Replaced this link: Does Taiwan Meet the Criteria to Qualify as an "Overseas Territory of the United States"? offers a new examination of Taiwan's international legal status as added by user 61.230.110.81

with: http://www.taiwanadvice.com/tw_insular5b.htm, which is a working current link to the same article.

(Disclaimer) I have no opinions on the matter, I'm just correcting the link. :D

~Kylu (u|t) 21:04, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Webster-Ashburton Treaty

This goes unmentioned in this article: it fixed the boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, and fixed the western border along the 49th Parallel, giving the U.S. what is now northeastern Minnesota, but the treaty isn't mentioned here, and the maps completely ignore it.--Firsfron 04:56, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

You've got a point about the boundary between Maine and New Brunswick. However, the Treaty of 1818 originally fixed the 49th parallel as the boundary from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains. (See Article II of the treaty's text.) The Webster-Ashburton treaty merely reaffirms that boundary in its Article II. ("... thence, according to existing treaties,! due south to its intersection with the 49th parallel of north latitude, and along that parallel to the Rocky Mountains.") --Kbrooks 17:06, 24 May 2006 (UTC)
Alright. But the Maine boundary stuff still needs to be added... --Firsfron 17:09, 24 May 2006 (UTC)
I think you'll find it mentioned under the very first heading as part of the 1783 Treaty of Paris section. (I misssed it the first time around myself.) Are you suggesting it needs to be in its own section? --Kbrooks 17:17, 24 May 2006 (UTC)
No, I suggest the maps need to reflect it, and it needs to be mentioned in the acquisitions part. I was surprised the WP map doesn't have it, because all of my college textbooks definitely had maps that showed it.--Firsfron 17:24, 24 May 2006 (UTC)
I'm still not sure I understand. Look at the article under "1783 Treaty of Paris." The Webster-Ashburton Treaty is mentioned there. Do you want that broken out like the Adams-Onis treaty (as an example)? --Kbrooks 17:36, 24 May 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, it's a different treaty, from 50+ years later. Imagine us trying to lump in a treaty from, say, the Vietnam War in with the current war in Iraq, and you'll see how ridiculous the idea is.--Firsfron 18:39, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

Well, my only objection is that all the rest of the sections define acquistion of territory as their main topic. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty merely clarified a boundary dispute. We didn't acquire new territory as much as we clarified existing territory. That said, the Boundary Treaty of 1970 is at the bottom, so we should either make the Webster-Ashburton Treaty its own section, or remove the Boundary Treaty. I'm in favor of removing the Boundary Treaty myself. --Kbrooks 14:25, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

I don't see it as any different than the Oregon Country. Canada had a boundary line, the U.S. had a boundary line. The area in the middle was in dispute. The treaty settled the line.--Firsfron 16:45, 25 May 2006 (UTC)
Actually, the US and Britain explicitly agreed to a "joint occupation" of Oregon in the Anglo-American Convention of 1818. --Jfruh 17:53, 25 May 2006 (UTC)
Yes, and according to our article on the Oregon Country: "In the 1844 U.S. Presidential election, the Democrats called for expansion into both areas. After being elected, however, President James K. Polk supported the 49th parallel as a northern limit for U.S. annexation in Oregon Country. [...] The British government, meanwhile, sought control of all territory north of the Columbia River."
In other words, the land claims conflicted, which is what I stated above. As in both cases, the area in question was settled by treaty. A map that includes the Oregon Country as a territorial acquisition should also show the Maine boundary decision, and I've seen it in texts before, and was surprised it was not on the Wikipedia maps, not even mentioned, and our text itself makes only a minor mention of it, incorrectly lumping it in with a treaty from 50 years earlier.--Firsfron 20:23, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Merge

Should we merge History of United States continental expansion into this article? I think we should. Travb (talk) 10:02, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

  • Support Travb (talk) 10:02, 24 June 2006 (UTC)
Last chance to vote...then i move it this week...Travb (talk) 04:03, 29 June 2006 (UTC)
  • SupportYes, I agree. There doesn't seem to be a strong rationale for having two articles with so much overlap. older ≠ wiser 14:11, 24 June 2006 (UTC)
  • Oppose I do not think there should be a merge because many students/ameatuer researchers do no know what acquisitions are. If there is to be a merege then the article should be named U.S Continetal Expansion, not territorial acquisitions —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hindude (talk • contribs)
    • Good point Hindude, but if this article is merged, the link to Continetal Expansion will link to this article, so students/ameatuer researchers will find this article. What merging does is it focuses wikipedian's work and efforts into one place, instead of two, meaning that students/ameatuer researchers will find more information in one place. Hope this helps. best wishesTravb (talk) 22:17, 3 July 2006 (UTC)
  • SupportI support the merge. Hindude, you gotta be kidding me. It's a perfectly good word that most educated people know, or ought to. "Continental" shouldn't be the aricle title because some of those acquisitions (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, etc.) weren't on a continent. --Jfruh (talk) 22:05, 3 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Support and rename The combined article should be called History of United States territorial expansion. The word "continental" is not correct, since U.S. territory includes American Samoa, Guam, Hawai'i, etc. Lovelac7 05:33, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] I said one week

I said I would move it in a week, I will move it soon, unless someone else wants to. Sorry for delay all. Travb (talk) 09:20, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Weasel and reference tags

Hey all, I added the {{weasel}}, please see WP:AWW. I don't like the {{weasel}} template much, because it isn't necessarily that the weasel words are making the section non-neutral, it simply is making the section sound bad. "One perspective ", "Another perspective " who? Without real experts/historians names, this article is less than encyclopedic. In addition, these historians/experts need to be citied, thus the {{unsourced}} tag. Travb (talk) 10:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I've delated the paragraph on American Indians because it really isn't nessacary. Aussie King Pin 11:05, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Removed section:

  • Note that this list primarily concerns land acquired from other nation-states; the numerous territorial acquisitions from American Indians are not listed here.
    • One perspective on this state of affairs is that the land was claimed as the territory of one European colonial power or the other, but it was owned by the Native peoples who resided there, creating a tiered system of possession. (For example, under this standard, Kansa Indians would be considered French nationals pre-1803, and American nationals post-1803.)
    • However, another perspective says that the Native peoples who resided there never actually claimed ownership, but merely stressed their usage rights to the land.
    • For an in-depth exploration of Native American land cessions, researchers may refer to Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-1897 by Charles C. Royce, which can be viewed online at the Library of Congress' American Memory Website.
  • There is a small section of central Colorado that lies between the Louisiana Purchase lands and the lands acquired in the Texas Annexation. It was either assumed by the U.S. without treaty, or, according to the National Atlas territorial acquisitions map from 2005, was granted to the U.S. under some provision of the 1819 treaty with Spain.{{fact}}

Signed:Travb (talk) 20:41, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Article has gone downhill

The well-intended merger of the other article into this one has been a disaster. This article was succinct and pretty a few months ago. The new text doesn't enhance the article. Yes, there are new facts. But they are shoved on the top, rambling, cotraversial, weasly, and required a bunch of silly tags at the top of the article to excuse their presence.

All of the information contained in those additions is easily accesable to anyone by linking to the page about the acquisition in question. Repeating it here just makes this article more confusing.

I also disagree with the notion that there doesn't need to be mention of acquisitions from Native Americans. I have shortened that section from its original form, but am returning some of it, as it raises valid issues into the nature of those types of acquisitions, which an inquisitive reader might desire, and is not otherwise linked to.Dr U 09:31, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Island articles

Find it suspicious that Aunuu Island and Manu'a Island are redlinked. Is it possible they exist under other names? jengod 22:16, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Housekeeping: Large portion of Overseas expansion of the United States moved here

I moved all of this text from Overseas expansion of the United States to here, Territorial acquisitions of the United States. This information is well written, but it is simply repeating what is already on Territorial acquisitions of the United States. If anyone wants to, they can merge the Overseas expansion of the United States text into this article Territorial acquisitions of the United States.

[edit] Guano islands annexations

The Guano Islands Act was federal legislation passed by the U.S. Congress on August 18, 1856 enabling citizens of the United States to take possession of islands containing guano deposits. More than 50 islands were eventually claimed. Of those remaining unquestionably under U.S. control due to this act alone are Baker Island, Jarvis Island, Howland Island, and Johnston Atoll. Other islands could be included, depending on opinion. Some claims have never been relinquished but are not recognized by the US or the party currently claiming control. Others are no longer considered United States territory. Possession of Navassa Island is currently disputed with Haiti. An even more complicated case probably unresolved until now seems to be the Serranilla Bank and the Bajo Nuevo Bank. In 1971, the U.S. and Honduras signed a treaty recognizing Honduran sovereignty over the Swan Islands.

[edit] Annexation of Hawaii

In 1959, 94% of Hawaiians voted to relinquish all land claims (proposition 2) to the United States and become a state.
In 1959, 94% of Hawaiians voted to relinquish all land claims (proposition 2) to the United States and become a state.

The Kingdom of Hawai'i was long an independent monarchy in the mid-Pacific Ocean. During the 19th century, the first American missionaries and then American business interests began to play major roles in the islands. Most notable were the powerful fruit and sugarcane corporations such as the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, founded by James Dole, and an oligarchy known as the Big Five, which included Castle & Cooke, Alexander & Baldwin, C. Brewer & Co., Amfac and Theo H. Davies & Co..

After a coup financed and directed by American interests, using Marines from the U.S. and with the approval of American Minister John Stevens, overthrew the monarchy's last native Hawaiian leader, isolationist Queen Lili'uokalani. The island became a republic in 1894. In 1898, the American president of the Republic of Hawai'i, Sanford Dole, James Dole's cousin, agreed to the Republic's annexation by the United States. The republic was dissolved in 1900 when the country became a territory of the US. Following voter approval of the Admission of Hawai'i Act, the Territory of Hawaii, on August 21, 1959, became the state of Hawai'i and the 50th state of the United States.

[edit] Annexation of Spanish Colonies following Spanish-American War

Main article: Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War took place in 1898. The Treaty of Paris (1898), ended the Spanish-American war, giving the United States possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Cuba. After the war, the United States greatly increased its international power.

Post-Spanish-American War map of "Greater America"
Post-Spanish-American War map of "Greater America"

This era also saw the first scattered protests against American imperialism. Noted Americans such as Mark Twain spoke out forcefully against these ventures. Opponents of the war, including Twain and Andrew Carnegie, organized themselves into the American Anti-Imperialist League.

During this same period the American people continued to strongly chastise the European powers for their imperialism. The Second Boer War was especially unpopular in the United States and soured Anglo-American relations. The anti-imperialist press would often draw parallels between America in the Philippines and the British in the Second Boer War.[1]

[edit] Guam

In Guam, settlement by foreign ethnic groups was small at first. After World War II showed the strategic value of the island, construction of a huge military base began along with a large influx of people from other parts of the world. Guam today has a very mixed population of 164,000. The indigenous Chamorros make up 37% of the population. The rest of the population consists mostly of Caucasians and Filipinos, with smaller groups of Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Micronesians, Vietnamese and Indians. Guam today is almost totally Americanized. The situation is somewhat similar to that in Hawaii, but attempts to change Guam's status as an 'unincorporated' U.S. territory have yet to meet with success.

[edit] Philippines
Main article: Philippine-American War

In 1898, the United States lent strong support to Emilio Aguinaldo's native liberation movement and helped to defeat Spanish occupation forces. Aguinaldo and his supporters declared independence, but the U.S. reversed its policy and annexed the islands. The natives resisted, and the Philippine-American War ensued.

The Philippine-American War (1899 to 1913) is often cited as another instance of United States imperialism. While many Filipinos were initially delighted to be rid of the Spanish rule of the Philippines, the guerrilla fighters soon found that the Americans were not prepared to grant them much more autonomy than Spain had allowed. Thus, for the next 15 years, American forces engaged in a war in the jungles of the Philippines against the Filipino resistance. An estimated 200,000 Filipinos died from war, war induced famine, and conditions in American concentration camps. Some American soldiers participated in war crimes, including torture and killing POWs.[2]

The Philippines became a U.S. colony in the fashion of Europe's New Imperialism. The Philippines remained under U.S. or Japanese rule until after World War II. The English language was made compulsory, but the native Tagalog also gained official status in 1937. Official languages today are Filipino (the standardized version of Tagalog, which is also designated as the National language) and English. The Filipinos welcomed the American reconquest from Japan in 1944, and gained political independence, for the first time, in 1946.

[edit] Annexation of American Samoa

Germany, the United States, and Britain colonized the Samoan Islands. The nations came into conflict in the Second Samoan Civil War and resolved their issues, establishing American Samoa as per the Treaty of Berlin, 1899. The US took control of its allotted region on June 7, 1900 with the Deed of Cession. American Samoa was under the control of the U.S. Navy from 1900 to 1951. From 1951 until 1977, Territorial Governors were appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Immigration of Americans was never as strong as it was, for instance, in Hawaii; indigenous Samoans make up 89% of the population. The islands have been reluctant to separate from the US in any manner.

[edit] Annexation of U.S. Virgin Islands

In 1917, the United States purchased the former Danish Colony of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, which is now the U.S. Virgin Islands. The United States purchased these islands because they feared that the islands might be seized as a submarine base during World War I. After a few months of negotiations, a sales price of $25 million was agreed. A referendum held in late 1916 confirmed the decision to sell by a wide margin. The deal was thus ratified and finalised on January 17, 1917, when the United States and Denmark exchanged their respective treaty ratifications. The U.S. took possession of the islands on March 31, 1917, when the territory was renamed the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. citizenship was granted to the inhabitants of the islands in 1927.

[edit] Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia (western Pacific) administered by the United States from July 18, 1947, comprising the former League of Nations Mandate administered by Japan and taken by the U.S. in 1944. On October 21, 1986, the U.S. ended its administration of the Marshall Islands district. These islands are now republics that, in 1986, signed a Compact of Free Association with the U.S.

Travb (talk) 15:10, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

This was very helpful. I had a report and needed information quick, and as always, can trust Wikipedia ^__^


24.175.254.182 18:53, 4 March 2007 (UTC)IkaZuchi 24.175.254.182 18:53, 4 March 2007 (UTC)Sniper_Player.scope@yahoo.com

[edit] Louisiana purchase

why isnt the louisiana purchase on here? Isn't that a territorial acquisition, arguably one of the most important?Skhatri2005 05:37, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

It is shown on each of the maps and is the second one in the list. Val42 21:49, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

um i liike eggs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.90.82.76 (talk) 22:16, 15 April 2008 (UTC)