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

Answer 1

The Mexican Cession was a significant event primarily because it intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery. Following the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the United States acquired a vast territory that included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico. This acquisition reignited tensions between the North and South over whether new territories should allow slavery, contributing to the sectional conflicts that eventually led to the Civil War.