Sovereignty Transfer

Gadsden Purchase (1853)

1853
MexicanAmerican
Date
1853
From
Mexican
To
American
Territory
Gadsden Purchase / La Mesilla

The Gadsden Purchase, also known as the Treaty of Mesilla, is a 29,640-square-mile (76,800 km2) region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico. The first draft was signed on December 31, 1853, by James Gadsden, US Minister to Mexico, and by Antonio López de Santa Anna, president of Mexico. The treaty took effect on June 8, 1854.

Key figures
James GadsdenAntonio López de Santa AnnaFranklin Pierce
Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Gadsden Purchase — Wikipedia.

Affected states and territories

ArizonaNew Mexico
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About Gadsden Purchase (1853)

What was Gadsden Purchase (1853)?
The Gadsden Purchase, also known as the Treaty of Mesilla, is a 29,640-square-mile (76,800 km2) region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico. The first draft was signed on December 31, 1853, by James Gadsden, US Minister to Mexico, and by Antonio López de Santa Anna, president of Mexico. The treaty took effect on June 8, 1854.
When did Gadsden Purchase (1853) occur?
Gadsden Purchase (1853) occurred in 1853.
Which territories were affected by Gadsden Purchase (1853)?
Gadsden Purchase (1853) affected the following states and territories: Arizona, New Mexico.
What power transferred sovereignty in Gadsden Purchase (1853)?
Under Gadsden Purchase (1853), territorial control transferred from Mexican to American via purchase.

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