Quiz Council on Foreign Relations Article: US Mexico Relations

What event (1810–1821) began Mexico’s break from Spain?

Father Miguel Hidalgo’s 1810 call to revolt (the Hidalgo Rebellion); Mexico achieves independence in 1821 under the Treaty of Córdoba.

What was the Adams-Onís (Transcontinental) Treaty (1819) important for U.S.–Mexico relations?

It defined a boundary between U.S. and Spanish territory before Mexican independence (settled many western border claims).

Why did Texas rebel against Mexico (1835–36)?

Migration of Anglo settlers caused tensions; Mexico banned U.S. immigration to Texas (1830) and Santa Anna’s centralizing moves (including enforcing customs/slavery laws) provoked revolt; Texas declared independence in 1836.

What were the causes and outcomes of the Mexican-American War (1846–48)?

U.S. annexation of Texas (1845), border disputes (Rio Grande vs Nueces), and expansionist pressure (Manifest Destiny). Outcome: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) — Mexico ceded large territories (CA, NM, AZ, UT, NV, parts of CO, WY, KS, OK); U.S. paid $15M; many Mexicans in ceded lands lost property.

What was the Gadsden Purchase (1853)?

U.S. purchase of ~30,000 sq miles (Mesilla valley) for $10M to settle border issues and facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad.

What migration pattern emerged after the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)?

U.S. railroads recruited Mexican laborers; by early 1900s thousands of Mexicans worked on railroads; border inspections and later a formal Border Patrol emerged. Coun

How did the Mexican Revolution (1910) affect migration?

Political violence and upheaval pushed large numbers of Mexicans to migrate to the U.S. (1910–1920 ≈ 890,000).

What was the Tampico Affair (1914) and its consequence?

Arrest of U.S. sailors in Tampico; U.S. occupation of Veracruz followed; increased anti-American sentiment in Mexico.

What did the Zimmermann Telegram (1917) propose?

Germany urged Mexico to join WWI against U.S. and promised help to regain lost territories — Mexico rejected it; publication helped push U.S. into WWI.

How did U.S. immigration policy in the 1920s treat Mexicans?

Quota acts of 1921/1924 restricted many nationalities but excluded Mexicans from quotas; border stations and the Border Patrol were reinforced.

What was the Great Depression’s impact on Mexican communities in the U.S.?

Repatriation programs (forced and voluntary) expelled/returned hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in 1929–39.

What was Cárdenas’s 1938 action and U.S. reaction?

Mexico nationalized its oil industry (PEMEX); the U.S. accepted it during WWII but pressed for compensation; Mexico later paid U.S. companies.

What were the Bracero and maquiladora programs?

Bracero (guest-worker) program (ended 1964) supplied U.S. labor; maquiladoras (since 1965) were maquiladora assembly plants in Mexico for export to the U.S., transforming border economies.

When did the U.S. declare a War on Drugs and what was an early effect on Mexico?

Nixon declared a war on drugs (1969), leading to heightened interdiction at the border and later deeper U.S.–Mexico counternarcotics cooperation and strain.

What major trade agreement began in 1994 and what did it do?

NAFTA (1994) — phased elimination of tariffs among U.S., Mexico, Canada; increased trade and economic integration but generated debate about jobs and inequality.

What replaced NAFTA and when? Name two key changes.

USMCA replaced NAFTA (entered July 1, 2020). Key changes: stricter auto rules of origin and stronger labor enforcement provisions; updated digital trade and dispute mechanisms.

What is the Mérida Initiative (2008 onward)?

U.S.–Mexico security cooperation program focused on counternarcotics and institution building; U.S. provided equipment, training, and aid; Mexico invested in complementary measures.

What was the Calderón drug-war escalation (2007–2009)?

President Calderón deployed federal troops against cartels; homicides soared (tens of thousands over his term) and U.S.–Mexico counternarcotics cooperation intensified (Mérida Initiative).

What major bilateral issues in the 2010s–2020s shaped relations?

Drug trafficking (esp. fentanyl), migration crises, trade realignments (USMCA), and disputes over sovereignty and cooperation (e.g., DEA arrests and Mexico’s response).

What big policy shift did the U.S. make in Jan 2025 (per reporting)?

President Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency and ordered steps to strengthen border enforcement (troops, reinstating Remain in Mexico), triggering tensions with Mexico.