Gadsen+Purchase+From+Mexico+1853

The Gadsden purchase was the last territorial acquisition in The United States excluding Hawaii and Alaska. The Gadsden Purchase was a treaty signed by James Gadsden, who was the ambassador to Mexico. The reason America purchased the extra land was to build the transcontinental railroad. The south was clear of mountains, and railroads couldn't go through mountains. So to make a clear route America had to get a bit more land to go around the mountains. The purchase was made for $10 million dollars, which is over 200 million dollars today.