Which event escalated tensions between landowners and ranchers in New Mexico?

The Lincoln County War is the event that escalated tensions between landowners and ranchers in New Mexico. This conflict, which occurred in the late 1870s, was primarily fueled by disputes over land and cattle, which were key resources for both ranchers and landowners.

The war represented a struggle for power and control in the Lincoln County area, where competing interests came into direct conflict. It involved prominent figures such as Billy the Kid, who became a symbol of the conflict. The lawlessness and violence during this period highlighted the deep divisions within the community and the lengths to which individuals and factions would go to assert their claims over land and livestock.

In contrast, the other events mentioned do not specifically focus on the conflict between landowners and ranchers in the same manner. The New Mexico Rebellion involved different social and political dynamics, while the Pecos Treaty mainly dealt with land rights involving Native American tribes. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo marked the end of the Mexican-American War and transferred vast territories to the United States, which created different forms of tension but was not primarily focused on the landowner-rancher conflict that characterized the Lincoln County War.