The Gadsden Purchase (1853) was primarily intended to:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Provide a southern route for a transcontinental railroad
The U.S. purchased this strip of land from Mexico for $10 million because it offered the best terrain for a southern rail line. This reflected the era's focus on connecting the newly acquired Pacific coast to the rest of the nation.
Keep practicing
More Manifest Destiny and Expansion questions
- American settlers in Texas during the 1820s and 1830s came into conflict with the Mexican government over which issue?
- Which group was most likely to oppose the Mexican-American War?
- What did the 'Spot Resolutions' introduced by Abraham Lincoln demand?
- The 'Manifest Destiny' paintings of the era, such as John Gast's 'American Progress,' typically depicted:
- The Ostend Manifesto (1854) was a secret document that suggested the United States should:
- The Oregon Treaty of 1846 was a compromise with Great Britain that set the boundary at: