Final answer:
Option B is correct option. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo delayed New Mexico's statehood by introducing new territories to the U.S., which ignited debates over slavery, thus postponing the resolution of its state status until 1912.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848 following the Mexican-American War, was a significant landmark in American history. By finalizing the end of the war, the treaty confirmed the U.S. title to Texas and ceded territories such as Alta California and New Mexico. These territories, which summed-up to a staggering 525,000 square miles, expanded U.S. presence greatly and set the stage for future state developments. However, the acquisition also fueled the debate over slavery expansion, which contributed to increasing sectional tensions.
The treaty influenced New Mexico's path to statehood by delaying the process. The area, now acknowledged as part of U.S. holdings, experienced heightened conflict over whether it should be admitted as a slave state or a free state. The Compromise of 1850 sought to address such issues, but the nation remained divided on the matter. Continued disputes over slavery prevented a swift resolution to New Mexico's status, leading to its relatively late admission as the 47th state in 1912.
To summarize, while the treaty facilitated the formal acquisition of the New Mexico territory by the United States, the contentious topic of slavery and the resulting sectional discord impeded its path to becoming a state. Consequently, the correct answer to the question is B. It delayed the statehood process.