TREATY OF LIMITS – El Exmo. Sr. Presidente interino de la República Mexicana, se ha servido dirigirme el decreto que sigue. ˵El Presidente interino de la República Mexicana, à todos los que las presentes vieren, sabed: ˵Que à efecto de facilitar el cumplimienio del art. 3.o del Tratado de limites entre estos Estados y los Unidos del Norte América, se ha estipulado y concluido en esta Capital, por medo de plenipotenciaros de las do Naciones, autorizados para el efecto, lo siguiente. [Mexico, 1835].

A year before U.S. recognition of Texas an independent republic, the United States and Mexico agree on an additional article to the Treaty of Limits to better fix the boundary between the two nations. Soon after John Quincy Adams and Louis de Onis had concluded negotiations over the border between the United States and New Spain, Mexico won independence from Spain. The boundary line was reaffirmed in the first treaty between newly-independent Mexico in 1828 (and ratified by both countries in 1831). This agreement stipulated that Mexico and the U.S. appointing "each a Commissioner and Surveyor for the purpose of fixing with more precision the dividing line… with the exactness stipulated by the 3.d article of the Treaty Of Limits…." However in 1836, the United States recognized the independence of Texas, which rendered this article irrelevant as Mexico considered recognition of an independent Texas a breach of this treaty—a matter not helped by U.S. annexation in 1845—leading to the Mexican-American War in which Mexico lost its possessions in California and the mountain west south of the 42nd parallel.

Four pages, bifolium, 305 x 212mm.

[With:] El Escmo. Sr. Presidente de la República Mexicana se ha servido dirigirme el decreto que sigue. ˵El presidente de la República Mexicana, à todos las que las presentes vieren, sabed. Que habiéndose concludio y firmado en Washington el dia once de Abril del año de mil ochocientos treinta y nueve una Convencion entre esta República y los Estados-Unidos de América, con el fin de arreglar las reclamaciones de Ciudadanos de dichos Estados conta el Gobierno de México, por medio de Comisionados de ambos Gobiernos autorizados debida y respectivamente al efecto, cuyo tenor es el siguiente. [Mexico, 1840]. Four pages, bifolium 297 x 207mm. “Convention for the adjustment of claims of citizens of the United States of American upon the Government of the Mexican Republic.”