What was the purpose of the Gadsden Purchase in 1853?

Answer 1

The Gadsden Purchase was the United States' land acquisition from Mexico in 1853. The U.S. paid $15,000,000 (including $3,000,000 in claims of American citizens) for the 45,535 square miles of land that became the southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The purchase was made by James Gadsden, for who the purchase was named after.

Answer 2

The Gadsden Purchase took place in June of 1853. The United States bought from Mexico a strip of land that was intended to be the territory the US required to build the much needed transcontinental railway line connecting the US west and the US east. The idea was to have the railway begin at the busy port city of New Orleans and proceed west from that point.

The name of this land purchase is from the name of the man who was the chief negotiator, James Gadsden.

Gadsden, himself preferred a railway that would extend from his home State of South Carolina. In fact from the seaport of Charleston to California.

The land deal was expensive compared to Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase. The price of $10 Million was negotiated with Mexico's President Lopez de Santa Anna.

In terms of cost per acre the Gadsden deal came to about 53 cents an acre almost 18 times the cost per acre compared to the cost of the transaction by Jefferson.

While the cost was high in terms of the comparison just made it needs to be remembered that France for the most part had no control of the land it sold to the USA. In 1853, however, this land was part of a country, Mexico, that certainly was a small loss of territory, but controversial anyway.

The controversy was seen in the US Congress, where some people wanted more land to be purchased while others wanted less, because they feared it would be territory with slavery.

Enemies of the Mexican president were outraged at the deal. They still felt the sting of the earlier war with the USA.

The irony of the entire issue was that of course in 1869, the first transcontinental railway was built fat to the north of the Gadsden deal. It wasn't until 1888 that a railway was built on this land.

Answer 3

to finish the railroad and complete manifest destiny

Answer 4

To gain land for a Southern transcontinental railroad

Answer 5

So that roads and railroads could go south of particular mountains in Arizona.

Answer 6

The land was needed for a southern transcontinental railroad.

Answer 7

to gain land for a railroad across the continent.

Answer 8

The Gadsden Purchase was important to the US because the country wanted to build a trans-continental railroad.

Answer 9

It was good land to build a railroad on.

Answer 10

The transcontinental railroad