Which conflict resulted in the United States acquiring a significant portion of Mexican territory?

• A. The War of 1812
• B. The Mexican-American War
• C. The Spanish-American War
• D. The Civil War

Answer: (B)

The Mexican-American War is the conflict that led to the United States acquiring a significant portion of Mexican territory. Fought between 1846 and 1848, this war resulted in the U.S. gaining a vast area of land through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty ceded present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico to the United States, fundamentally altering the map of North America.

The war was fueled by various factors, including the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, which held that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent, and disputes over Texas, which had won its independence from Mexico. The acquisition of this territory played a crucial role in the westward expansion of the United States and had significant implications for the nation's future, including issues related to slavery and statehood for the new territories.

In contrast, the other conflicts mentioned did not lead to such territorial gains from Mexico. The War of 1812 was fought between the U.S. and Britain, focusing on maritime issues. The Spanish-American War in 1898 primarily involved the U.S. and Spain, resulting in the U.S. acquiring territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The Civil War, occurring from 1861 to