Question

Why was the Mexican Cession a significant event?

(1 point)
Responses

It united different cultural groups living in western areas.
It united different cultural groups living in western areas.

It intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery.
It intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery.

It created a temporary southern border.
It created a temporary southern border.

It led to the development of canal systems to move goods.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: It intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery.

The Mexican Cession refers to the territory that Mexico ceded to the United States after the Mexican-American War in 1848. This territory, which included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming, significantly increased the size of the United States.

The acquisition of this territory sparked a heated debate over whether slavery would be allowed in these new lands. This debate ultimately contributed to the growing tensions between the North and the South, as the northern states sought to limit the expansion of slavery while the southern states fought for its preservation. This intensification of the slavery debate was a significant factor leading to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861.