Gadsen Purchase from Mexico for All You History Buffs

[gdr_11]

Just started a new book about the Apache wars in the Southwest and I was surprised to learn that the original Gadsen Purchase agreement between the US and Mexico included another 9,000 square miles that went down to the 31st degree of latitude which would have included a nice little chunk of the Gulf of Mexico down to about 20 miles south of the current town of Puerto Penasco. This would also have included a good chunk of Baja California.

Congress dicked around as they usually do and moved the southern boundary line to the current US border and cut the payment to Mexico by $5 million from the original $15 million. By doing this they cost Arizona a port city on the Gulf which would have given new meaning to the phrase "ocean front property in Arizona"

This is why I love history....there are so many nuances in the crazy past of this nation that I never tire of digging into. That, plus the fact that in past times you seldom saw the names Obama or Feinstein unless it was an article about buying rugs or diamonds.

 

[busykngt]

Hindsight is 20/20 even for governments, just ask Germany or Japan. (Sometimes they do get it right; Alaska & Louisiana Purchases).

 

[Eli]

Just started a new book about the Apache wars in the Southwest and I was surprised to learn that the original Gadsen Purchase agreement between the US and Mexico included another 9,000 square miles that went down to the 31st degree of latitude which would have included a nice little chunk of the Gulf of Mexico down to about 20 miles south of the current town of Puerto Penasco. This would also have included a good chunk of Baja California.

Congress dicked around as they usually do and moved the southern boundary line to the current US border and cut the payment to Mexico by $5 million from the original $15 million. By doing this they cost Arizona a port city on the Gulf which would have given new meaning to the phrase "ocean front property in Arizona"

This is why I love history....there are so many nuances in the crazy past of this nation that I never tire of digging into. That, plus the fact that in past times you seldom saw the names Obama or Feinstein unless it was an article about buying rugs or diamonds.

You got a source for all that? I know the main point of the purchase was for what later became the Southern Pacific Railroad to be built.

Eli

 

[gdr_11]

I found this in The Apache Wars by Paul Andrew Hutton. Most of the details can also be found here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_Purchase

You can scroll down to the bullets after all the congressional hoo rah and read about the reduction in the size and price of the purchase agreement