Texes Social Studies Content Practice Exam

How did the U.S. acquire land in the Mexican Cession?

1. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

2. Purchase motivated by fear from Great Britain

3. Mexico gave it away due to farming costs

4. Sam Houston's declaration in 1836

The correct answer is: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The acquisition of land in the Mexican Cession occurred through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which was signed in 1848. This treaty formally ended the Mexican-American War, which lasted from 1846 to 1848. Under this agreement, Mexico ceded a significant portion of its territory to the United States, including present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The treaty was a crucial moment in U.S. history as it greatly expanded the nation's territory and fulfilled the concept of Manifest Destiny, which held that the U.S. was destined to expand across the North American continent. The other options do not accurately reflect how the U.S. acquired the territory. The notion of land being given away by Mexico due to farming costs does not capture the complexities of the situation nor the context of the war. The mention of a purchase motivated by fear from Great Britain lacks historical basis, as the acquisition was a direct outcome of conflict and treaty negotiations with Mexico. Lastly, Sam Houston's declaration in 1836 pertained to Texas independence and is not related to the treaty that ended the war and facilitated the land acquisition in question.