This month in 1854 was the signing and ratification of the Gadsden Purchase by President Franklin Pierce, adding 30,000 square miles to the U.S. The purchase is named after James Gadsden, who was the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico at the time.
The railroads lobbied for the expansion, as they wanted a southern route that was less mountainous than the existing southern border. However, this new rail route would not be built until the 1880s due to the Civil War. Mexico also saw the treaty as a way to firmly establish the border with the U.S.
The Gadsden Purchase is significant to Florence. Before the purchase, the land where downtown Florence sits today was Mexico, and the Gila river just north of downtown was the border. This purchase made the final land expansion of the continental U.S. and defines a large portion of the U.S. border with Mexico today.
