What was a significant outcome of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) for the United States?

The significant outcome of the Mexican-American War for the United States was indeed the acquisition of a vast amount of territory, effectively expanding the U.S. from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This expansion resulted in the U.S. obtaining modern-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which formally ended the war in 1848.

This territorial acquisition played a crucial role in shaping the future of the nation, fueling the belief in Manifest Destiny—the idea that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent. It also intensified debates over slavery in the new territories, influencing domestic politics and contributing to the sectional conflict in the years leading up to the Civil War. The expansion not only provided access to abundant resources and land but also significantly altered the demographic and cultural landscape of the nation.