The Next Prez of the USA

[Caecilian]

What lands has America 'grabbed' in the last 200 years?

The most important land grabs:

1845 US annexes Texas, with the support of the majority of Texans. This is dubiously legal since Texas is a breakaway province of Mexico, and its independence is recognized by some countries (US, France) but not others (Mexico, Britain).

1846-48 The annexation of Texas leads directly to the Mexican-American War, and one of the biggest land grabs in history. Following the defeat of Mexico and the occupation of Mexico City, the US takes Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico and most of Arizona.

1893 US agricultural interests backed up by US marines help to overthrow the monarcharchy in Hawaii. The situation becomes very unstable, leading to the annexation of Hawaii in 1898.

1898 Spanish-American War. The main issue is Cuban independence, but the US ends up grabbing Puerto Rico, Guam and the Phillipines. The Philippines is now independent; Guam and Puerto Rico aren't.

1899 As part of a colonial carve-up in the South Pacific, the US acquires American Samoa.

1903 The US sponsors the indepedence movement in Panama. As a result, America gains control of the Panamanian isthmus, and builds the Panama canal. The Canal Zone remains in American hands until the 1970s.

In addition, of course, there are the very numerous internal land grabs- whites seizing land that belonged to the Indians.