Which of These Is NOT a True Statement About the Californios

Multiple Choice

Which of these is NOT a true statement about the Californios?

A) They were descendants of the Spanish and Mexican conquerors who had once ruled California.
B) In terms of social and political status, they deferred to the very powerful Franciscan missionaries until Mexico overthrew Spanish rule in 1821.
C) The political and economic power and social status of the Californios received a major boost when Mexico's "secularization" program eroded the substantial power of the Franciscan missions and their leading priests.
D) The Californios saw their social status and economic and political power significantly eroded following the American victory in the Mexican War.
E) The Californios found themselves consistently at the lowest rungs of California society, even below the Indians, during the early to mid-1800s.