Final answer:
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was a historic agreement in which Mexico ceded a significant portion of its land to the United States. This treaty resulted in the acquisition of several states by the U.S. and provided certain rights and protections for Mexican citizens living in the ceded territory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in February 1848, was a triumph for American expansion under which Mexico ceded nearly half its land to the United States. Mexico lost more than half of its territorial landmass in this treaty, with the ceded land eventually becoming states like California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas. The treaty also recognized the Rio Grande as the border between the two countries and promised U.S. citizenship to Mexican citizens living in the ceded territory.