Which of the following best describes how the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo affected Anglo settlers in Texas?(1 point) Responses They were U.S. citizens. They were U.S. citizens. They were allowed to vote in U.S. elections. They were allowed to vote in U.S. elections. They had the choice of being U.S. or Mexican citizens. They had the choice of being U.S. or Mexican citizens. They were free from Mexican overreach.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848, had significant effects on Anglo settlers in Texas. Among the provisions of the treaty, the ones most directly relevant to Anglo settlers in Texas were the recognition of the annexation of Texas by the United States and the cession of a large portion of Mexico's northern territory to the US (which included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and parts of Texas that were still disputed after annexation in 1845).
The most accurate statement from those provided regarding the effect on Anglo settlers in Texas would be:
- They were U.S. citizens.
The Anglo settlers in Texas were recognized as U.S. citizens following the annexation of Texas into the United States in 1845. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo reaffirmed the American sovereignty over Texas and thus the status of its residents as U.S. citizens. This citizenship enabled them to vote in U.S. elections and freed them from any legal claims or overreach that Mexico had over the territory previously.
The option "They had the choice of being U.S. or Mexican citizens." is more applicable to the residents of the newly acquired territories other than Texas, where the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo allowed those residents to choose their citizenship. The newly acquired territories from Mexico apart from Texas were covered under Article VIII of the treaty, which provided a one-year period during which the residents could choose to retain Mexican citizenship; otherwise, they would automatically become U.S. citizens. However, for Anglo settlers in Texas, citizenship was a result of the annexation by the U.S., and the treaty further solidified the legal standing of that citizenship.