The Gadsden Purchase served to accentuate sectional rivalry.

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The Gadsden Purchase, which was the acquisition of land from Mexico by the United States in 1853, was controversial because it increased tensions between the northern and southern states over the issue of slavery. Some Northerners opposed the purchase because they feared it would be used to expand slavery. Meanwhile, Southerners supported the purchase because it promised to open new opportunities for slave-based agriculture. Thus, the Gadsden Purchase contributed to sectional rivalry between the North and South in the lead-up to the Civil War.

The Gadsden Purchase Served to Accentuate Sectional Rivalry