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Good Neighbors

In 1976, President Gerald Ford proclaimed September 26th National Good Neighbor Day.

“This Bicentennial Year is an appropriate time to emphasize that only by accepting our individual responsibility to be good neighbors can we survive as a strong, united Nation.  By recognizing our dependence on each other, we preserve our independence as a people

As we teach our children the cherished ideal of government by and for the people, let us begin by teaching them to know and care about the people 

next door.  We must not only help each other, we must be willing to learn from each other so that we may remain forever united.  Each individual American must make his or her special effort to be a good neighbor.”

National Good Neighbor Day, 1976, National Archives Identifier 1670027

In the Western Hemisphere, our next door neighbors are Canada and Mexico. Today we look at the relationship the United States has had with our neighbors over the decades.  The importance of good neighbor relations goes back to the very foundation of the country.  As the earliest treaties established boundaries and agreements on critical issues, they also provided the foundation of our ongoing association. Two very important treaties with our neighbors are the Treaty of Paris and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.

The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.  Two articles specifically addressed issues within North America.   Article 2d established the boundaries between the United States and the British controlled north, which would later become Canada. 

Article 3d established fishing rights  “on the Grand Bank and on all the other Banks of Newfoundland, also in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and at all other Places in the Sea, where the Inhabitants of both Countries used at any time heretofore to fish.”

Read more about this treaty -  National Archives Milestone Documents

Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783, National Archives Identifier 299805

The  Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. Mexico also relinquished all claims to Texas, and 

recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States.

Read more about this treaty - National Archives Milestone Documents.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo [Exchange copy], 1848 (page 39), National Archives Identifier 299809

The National Archives’ cartographic records include many maps of Canada and Mexico. They often define boundaries and illustrate topographical features, resources, and routes.

[From left to right] Outline Map of the Dominion of Canada, 1881, National Archives Identifier 169051335; Map of Mexico, 1892, National Archives Identifier 404788295;  Canada and United States (Vermont) Boundary, National Archives Identifier 170106434;  Mexico Climate, 1950, National Archives Identifier 159082747

Even good neighbors need to be prepared.  In 1972 this 1919 World War I era report  was declassified.  It details a plan to defend the northern border of the United States shared with Canada. The report  recorded details from along the border including maps, topography, roads, railroad lines, meteorological data, water wells, bridges, and more.

478 Defense of U.S. frontiers - Canadian Invasion Plan, [page 14 and 75], National Archives Identifier 330789098

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free-trade zone between Canada, Mexico, and the United States in North America.  The treaty was signed in 1992 under the George H.W. Bush administration and went into effect in 1994 under Bill Clinton’s administration.

[Left] President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas participate in the initialing ceremony of the North American Free Trade Agreement in San Antonio, Texas, October 7, 1992, National Archives Identifier 186460  [Right] Photograph of President William J. Clinton Meeting with Former Presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter to Discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement, September 14, 1993, National Archives Identifier 3555653

American Presidents have always had a cordial relationship with the Canadian Prime Minister and the Mexican President. The leaders have met during State visits, conferences, and meetings.

[Top left] Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mexican President Avila Camacho in Monterrey, Mexico,  National Archives Identifier 196060 [Top right] President Richard Nixon and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at Parliament House, Ottawa, Canada, National Archives Identifier 66394276   [Bottom left] President George W. Bush and President Vicente Fox Greet Spectators, National Archives Identifier 7369298 [Bottom right] President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama Welcome Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau and Mrs. [Sophie] Grégoire-Trudeau to the White House, March 10, 2016,  National Archives Identifier 148057714

The relationship the United States has with Mexico and Canada is not without its complexities, but it is built on neighborly mutual respect and cooperation.

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