Gadsden Treaty 1853

a treaty concerning the sale of a part of Mexican territory; imposed on Mexico by the USA. It was named after the American minister J. Gadsden (1788-1858), who concluded the treaty with the Mexican dictator Santa Anna on Dec. 30, 1853. According to the treaty, in addition to the territory that the USA had seized by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848), Mexico was compelled to transfer about 120,000 sq km of territory between the Colorado, Gila, and Rio Grande rivers to the USA for $10 million. The exchange of instruments of ratification took place on June 30, 1854. The territory acquired by the Gadsden Treaty comprises the southern part of Arizona and New Mexico (USA).