How Has the Mexico-US Border Changed in History

The Mexico-US border today is a contentious topic, recently leading to a government shutdown due to disagreements between the president and congress in funding of a wall that would separate the two countries. One contention has been that crime coming from Mexico has affected the United State's saftey, neccessitating a wall, although little data supports any spike in crime, particularly when compared to average US crime, due to migrants crossing from Mexico. The border itself has changed as the two countries evolved. The border reflects the history between the two countries, that has sometimes been hostile while other times reflecting strong relations.

The Birth of the Border

After the successful War of Independence against the United Kingdom, the United States established its border with New Spain and what would become the Louisiana Purchase, a territory stretching mostly west of the Mississippi River. The Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1762 ceded what would become the Louisiana Purchase to Spain from France.