Excerpt from a Letter by Henry Colman, 1846
My dear Sir, I have been some time intending for myself this pleasure but there is everything to be found in this great city excepting time; and of that, of those who have anything to do, I don't know who has a supply. . . . The great political matters on this side of the water must be of immense importance to the United States. There will be a quick demand for all the produce, which is likely to come. The best informed and the most judicious and sagacious men are not without alarm for a very serious scarcity of food. The utter failure of the potato crop in Ireland is determined and the consequences are frightful to contemplate. It is quite general here; and I hope the alarm in regard to the disease among the turnips in the North is premature. The crops of oats and barley are now large—wheat is more than average; but there will be no surplus, and there is anticipated a very large demand for breadstuffs upon the Continent. Thank God there is now peace between the two countries and that instead of cutting each other's throats they now propose to employ their natural energies much more wisely, in covering each other's backs and filling each other's stomachs.
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
Which of the following describes the long-term impact on the United States of the event described in the passage?
A.
It increased competition for farmland and conflict with Native Americans in the Southwest.
B.
It helped grow cities, factories, and railroads while encouraging the rise of nativism.
C.
It spurred calls for westward expansion, worsening debates over the expansion of slavery.
D.
It raised demand for American crops and food goods, causing overproduction and financial panic.
PLEASE, ALSO EXPLAIN WHY ITS THE CORRECT ANSWER, DO NOT GUESS, USE THE EXPERT.