Final answer:
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo resulted in Mexico ceding a large area of territory to the United States, now known as the Mexican Cession, and expanded the U.S. territory significantly, fueling Manifest Destiny.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on the United States was significant. The correct answer to the student's question is B. Mexico ceded a large area of territory to the United States. This area, known as the Mexican Cession, included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Texas, which greatly expanded the size of the United States and propelled the ideology of Manifest Destiny. Mexico relinquished these territories in exchange for $15 million from the U.S, as well as the U.S. assumption of $3.25 million in debts that the Mexican government owed to American citizens. This treaty was signed following the Mexican-American War in February 1848 and led to a vast reshaping of the continental United States.