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The United States bought a strip of land from Mexico specifically to clear the p
Featured Event 1853 Event

December 30

Gadsden Purchase: U.S. Secures Southern Railroad Route

The United States bought a strip of land from Mexico specifically to clear the path for a southern transcontinental railroad. This acquisition secured the final route needed to connect California to the rest of the nation, accelerating western expansion and trade.

December 30, 1853

173 years ago

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