Final answer:
The Mexican-American War damaged the U.S.'s reputation in Latin America, creating distrust and exacerbating the domestic political crisis over slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mexican-American War had a profound impact on the historical image of the United States both domestically and internationally. Latin American relations were adversely affected as the war intensified "Yankeephobia," leading to suspicions about American intentions and policies. The conflict was seen as a display of American greed and a deliberate provocation by the U.S., branding it the "Colossus of the North." Domestically, the addition of a vast expanse of territory reignited the debate over slavery and threatened the political stability, as it disrupted the balance of free and slave states maintained by the Missouri Compromise. This challenged the nation's ideals and escalated sectional tensions, which Congressman David Wilmot sought to address with the introduction of the Wilmot Proviso, a measure aimed at prohibiting slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico.