Baja California Territory (Territorio de Baja California) was a Mexican territory from 1824 to 1931, that encompassed the Baja California Peninsula of present-day northwestern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

. It replaced the Baja California Province (1773–1824) of the Spanish colonial

Viceroyalty of New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Amer ...

, after Mexican independence. Along with

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

, the two territories were split from the Spanish

The Californias The Californias ( Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican s ...

region. In 1931 Baja California Territory was divided into " North Territory of Baja California" and " Territory of Baja California Sur". In 1952, the "North Territory" became the 29th

State of Mexico The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. In 1974, the "South Territory" became the 31st state as

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

Province

Baja California's northern border with

was first established to demarcate areas of Franciscan and Dominican missionary authority, precisely set on August 19, 1773, near San Juan Bautista Creek by Fray Francisco Palóu. A marker stands on the line formerly dividing the two countries. The marker is behind the ruins of

Misión San Miguel Arcángel de la Frontera :''Another mission bearing the name San Miguel Arcángel is the Mission San Miguel Arcángel in San Miguel, California.'' Mission San Miguel ( es, Misión San Miguel Arcángel de la Frontera) was a Spanish mission established on 28 March 1787 ...

, in

La Misión, Baja California La Misión or Misión de San Miguel is a village in Baja California located on Mexican Federal Highway 1 approximately south of the San Ysidro border crossing on the Gold Coast of the Baja California peninsula. The census of 2010 reported a po ...

. Palóu's line was adopted as the provincial dividing line in 1804. In 1848, under the

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...

, this international border was shifted further north to

San Diego Bay San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of ...

, adjusting it to the claim of

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( pt, João Rodrigues Cabrilho; c. 1499 – January 3, 1543) was an Iberian maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was the firs ...

and the "sea-to-sea" claims of Sir

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 ...

and of the former colony of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

.Craven's report, 1847, in ''The Mexican War in Baja California'', Nunis, D.B., editor, 1977, Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, Translated into English, the inscription on the marker reads:

San Juan Bautista Creek:
Juan Crespí Joan Crespí or Juan Crespí (1 March 1721 – 1 January 1782) was a Franciscan missionary and explorer of Las Californias. Biography A native of Majorca, Crespí entered the Franciscan order at the age of seventeen. He came to New Spain ...
, May 1 for the setting of the first international division line between Old or Lower California ( Dominicans) and New or Upper California (
Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
s) five leagues to the north (Valley of the Médanos) being established by: Priest
Francisco Palóu Francesc Palou (in Catalan) or Francisco Palóu (1723–1789) was a Spanish Franciscan missionary, administrator and historian on the Baja California Peninsula and in Alta California. Palóu made significant contributions to the Alta California ...
on 19 August 1773 (''Mojonera of Palou'') in compliance with the instructions put forth on the April 7, 1772 ''
Concordat A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...
o''.
''Rosarito Historical Society, Baja California A.C. at The Mission, Baja California, on 20 May 1990. Fieldwork and research: . Monument donation: Mario Reyes Coronado De Villasari & family . Construction: Students of the School of Tourism at U.A.B.C.(Autonomous University of Baja California)''.

References

{{Reflist Colonial Mexico Provinces of the Spanish Empire Territories of Mexico History of Baja California History of Baja California Sur Independent Mexico Modern Mexico Former territorial entities in North America 1804 establishments in New Spain 1810s in Mexico The Californias 1821 disestablishments in Mexico 1821 disestablishments in New Spain 1824 in Mexico States and territories established in 1804 States and territories disestablished in 1821 States and territories established in 1824 1824 establishments in Mexico States and territories disestablished in 1931 1931 disestablishments in Mexico

Province

See also

References