What did General Mier y Teran's report say about the population in East Texas?

• A. Native populations outnumbered both
• B. They were equal
• C. US settlers outnumbered Mexican settlers 5 to 1
• D. Mexican settlers outnumbered US settlers 2 to 1

Answer: (C)

Mier y Terán was assessing how Texas might remain under Mexican control, and a major factor he highlighted was who actually lived there. In East Texas he found that US settlers greatly outnumbered Mexican settlers—about five to one. This large imbalance meant Mexican authority could feel distant or weak to the people living there, so his recommendation focused on encouraging Mexican settlement and limiting American immigration to restore Mexican influence. That is why this description fits what his report said about the population. The other possibilities don’t match his observations, since he did not claim Native populations were the main factor, nor that Mexican settlers outnumbered US settlers, nor that the groups were roughly equal.