America didn't just steal the West from Mexico. We reached an agreement for it. Mexico's government was crashing. Their budget was 8 million pesos. Their expenses were 26 million pesos. This was obviously unsustainable. The US offered to buy the land for what was worth $636 million in today's dollars. We also assumed all U.S. Citizen debts owed by Mexico (worth about $140 million today). Yes, we had defeated Mexico, and could easily have seized the land. BUT WE DIDN'T. We paid for it. Six years later, Mexico wanted more money, so we made the Gadsden purchase which got us southern Arizona & New Mexico. This was another $350 million in modern value for land no one lived on. Eventually we got Tucson out of it. So next time some activist tells you we "stole" land from Mexico, here is chapter and verse. 1) The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was legally binding. Mexico signed it. 2) we paid for the land when Mexico needed the income. The purchased land was in fact a major drain on Mexico's finances, and it was a relief to the Mexican government to offload it back then. No doubt there is seller's regret now. 3) it was also paid for in blood.