how was california acquired by the us
How was California acquired by the United States? September 14, 2017 United States The state of California was acquired by the United States as part of the Mexican Cession â the land ceded by Mexico to the US in 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war, and gave territory to the US. In return, the US agreed to pay $15 million in compensation for damages.