What was the Gadsden Purchase? The United States soon realized it needed more Mexican land. The extra land was needed to build a southern railroad route to the Pacific Ocean. The Mexican government did not want to lose more of its land but needed money. In 1852, the United States government sent James Gadsden, a South Carolina railroad promoter and businessman, to Mexico City. His goal was to buy more land from Mexico. Gadsden made five different offers to the Mexican government, but all were rejected. Finally, the treaty was rewritten in 1854. Mexico agreed to sell almost 30,000 square miles to the United States for fifteen million dollars. Most of this land is in southern Arizona. All the new land was south of the Gila River. It is called the Gadsden Purchase. The Gadsden Hotel is located in Douglas, Arizona. It is named in honor of James Gadsden and his efforts in working with Mexico to buy the land that would become southern Arizona, known as the Gadsden Purchase. Orange on this map shows the land that became a part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase. Today’s Arizona towns like Tucson, Patagonia, Nogales, and Bowie are all located in the Gadsden Purchase land area. 68  Chapter 6 • Territory of New Mexico