The Gadsden Purchase allowed for the southern transcontinental railroad to be built
The Gadsden Purchase allowed for the southern transcontinental railroad to be built
The Gadsden Purchase had many impacts on the United States many of which can still be seen today.
The Gadsden Purchase cemented the US border and continued westward expansion
The Gadsden Purchase allowed for the southern transcontinental railroad to be built
The Gadsden Purchase impacted the areas designated as slave territories
The Gadsden Purchase led to high economic development across the southern region
Despite not being the largest amount of land purchased, the Gadsden Purchase still played some key roles in the future of the United States. The southern border created by the Gadsden Purchase established the international lines that are still the same today. The Gadsden Purchase also continued the belief of Manifest Destiny which played a key role in the expansion of the United States. Lastly, the Gadsden Purchase resolved some of the conflicts and border disputes that remained after the Mexican-American War, which eased up the relations with the United States and Mexico.​​
Following the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, surveyors were now able to fully develop the line of the southern transcontinental railroad fully within the borders of the United States. This spanned from California to Texas and connected the Southwest. By 1881, this railroad was completed running from Los Angeles to El Paso, making the Southern Pacific Railroad the second transcontinental railroad. This soon led to the area being filled with railroads and trade lines with the Arizona Eastern Railroad and the Copper Basin Railway. Eventually, this led to the development of famous US Highway 60 to be constructed in the region north of the Gadsden Purchase.
As seen in the map the majority of the area that was involved in the Gadsden Purchase was considered to be free of slavery. However, following the Gadsden Purchase, the issue of slavery in these new territories ignited, with many northern politicians being against the issue. By the time the civil war came about, the Confederate States of America formed the Confederate Territory of Arizona (1861). However, in 1863 the Union created its own Arizona Territory which consisted of most of the land acquired from the Gadsden Purchase. Eventually, this Arizona Territory would be admitted into the Union as the State of Arizona on February 14, 1912, as the last of the lower 48 states to receive statehood.
The Gadsden Purchase opened up many opportunities in the Southwest. From the late 1840s onwards, the land purchased in the Gadsden Purchase seemed to be ideal for grazing cattle as Texan stockmen seemed to take an interest in the land. By the time, the Arizona Territory was formed in 1863, the area consisted of many flourishing towns, growing ranches, and expansion of mining, railroading, and telecommunications industries. Despite many outlaws, Apache raids, and feuds, the Mesilla Valley area flourished into a bustling farm and ranch area which is still today.