At the end of the Mexican-American War, the United States annexed more than half of Mexico’s territory under the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Under its terms, the U.S. promised to protect the property rights of Mexican citizens who had received land grants (ranchos) in the territory from Mexico or Spain. In 1851, Congress passed a law that required Mexican landowners in California to confirm their titles with the federal government. It was a lengthy and expensive process further complicated by different languages, laws, and customs. The cost of proving legitimate ownership was often the land itself.
Rancho San Miguelito de Trinidad
Resolving land claims took an average of 17 years and often required costly lawyers, translators, and surveyors. Extreme weather and a changing economy added to the financial strain on rancheros like José Rafael Gonzalez. His land grant was patented in 1867 after a 15-year claim process. During that period, severe drought killed more than 5,000 cattle, and Gonzalez sold the land two years later.
National Archives, Records of the Bureau of Land Management
Rancho Juristac
To cover claim expenses, many Mexicans were forced to sell land to American settlers. Brothers Antonio and Faustino German filed their claim in 1852 for Rancho Juristac, also known as Rancho de la Brea. Nineteen years later, the rancho was patented to a group of Americans who had purchased the land after migrating during the California Gold Rush.
National Archives, Records of the Bureau of Land Management
Rancho Cuyama (No. 2)
María Antonia de la Guerra y Lataillade’s land grant was patented after a 27-year legal battle. To preserve her other land holdings, Lataillade sold this rancho to pay legal fees. Her strategy paid off. While few ranchos remain in the families of the original grantee, Lataillade’s descendants held her land for another 150 years.
National Archives, Records of the Bureau of Land Management
Government officials used diseños (sketch maps) like these as evidence of property boundaries. Today diseños are important evidence of the profound impact that the Mexican Cession had on the lives of some Mexicans whose land became part of the United States.
For more information and resources related to Hispanic and Latino heritage, visit:
- National Archives Catalog
- Hispanic/Latino Heritage Resources
- National Archives Hispanic Heritage Month
