U.S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis had sent Gadsden to negotiate with Santa Anna for the land. Davis valued it, as others did, as the perfect tract for the construction of the southern transcontinental railroad. The railroad line would connect western territories to the east and north, greatly increasing the accessibility of these new lands. —“America’s Story,” Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov (accessed November 12, 2009)
According to the excerpt above, the Gadsden Purchase was intended to —
F. support settlement of U.S. territory gained through the U.S.-Mexican War
G. encourage commerce among U.S. states formed from the Louisiana Purchase
H. allow the United States and Mexico to share railroad construction costs
J. encourage the sale of U.S. government land in Florida