Why El Paso is important?

Answer 1

The history of El Paso, Texas, in the United States spans a period from the middle of the Spanish Imperial period to modern day.

Founded as El Paso del Norte (at what is now Ciudad Juárez, Mexico) by Spanish franciscan friars at an important mountain pass, the area became a small agricultural producer though most settlement was south of the river where modern Mexico lies. The city was considered part of New Mexico under Spanish rule and was tied economically to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Texas Revolution when Texas gained its freedom from Mexico, which itself had recently been freed from Spain, did not involve El Paso at all as the city was part of New Mexico and hence from Mexico itself. However after Texas' annexation by the United States the boundary of the state was claimed to include this important trading center.

As railroads were built through the area it boomed as a commercial center. The World Wars and the Texas Oil Boom helped develop the city further. As international trade has become increasingly important in the U.S., and Juárez has grown as a manufacturing center, El Paso's economic importance has continued to expand.