What impact did striking out Article X from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo have on generational land owners?
Striking out Article X from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had a significant impact on generational landowners, particularly Mexican Americans or former Mexican citizens living in the newly acquired territories of the United States. Article X guaranteed the protection of property rights and land grants of Mexicans living in these territories who chose to remain U.S. citizens. However, when the article was removed from the treaty, the property rights of these individuals became more vulnerable.
Without the protection of Article X, the generational landowners faced several challenges. Many faced difficulties establishing their legal titles and boundaries to the land they had inhabited for generations. The absence of clear property rights increases the risk of displacement, as their lands became vulnerable to encroachment and disputes with American settlers.
Furthermore, the removal of Article X made it more challenging for these landowners to defend their legal rights or seek justice if their lands were seized or illegally taken. The legal procedures and court processes often disadvantaged Mexican Americans, who had limited access to legal representation or faced cultural and language barriers within the American legal system.
As a result, many generational landowners lost their ancestral lands due to forced sales, fraudulent claims, or unfair legal processes. This loss of land had a severe impact on their lives, culture, and economic well-being. It disrupted their agricultural practices, which were deeply ingrained in their cultural heritage, and led to the loss of their primary source of livelihood and community cohesion.
The removal of Article X from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus further marginalized and disadvantaged Mexican Americans and former Mexican citizens, undermining their generational land ownership and perpetuating social and economic inequalities. It contributed to a long history of land dispossession and discrimination against this population in the United States.