Facts About Texas Annexation
But WHY don’t you want us???? We
are soooo coool!
Annexation: One country takes in another country, state or territory.
No
War!
Reason #1 the U.S. Didn’t Want Us:
Mexico
The U.S. does NOT want a war with
Mexico! See, Mexico still doesn’t accept that
you won the Revolution… if we annexed
you, Mexico would fight because they still
think you legally belong to them! No Way!
After the Revolution, most
Texans wanted to be part of
the fabulous United States!
We don’t
want
you!!!!
Reason #2: Slavery
Right now (in 1837) there are 26 states in
the U.S. … 13 are free states (no slavery)
and 13 are slave states. We need to maintain
that balance in the U.S. Congress… Texas
would tip that balance over onto which
side???
Free
States
13
Slave
States
13
Slave states?? No Thanks!
U.S. in 1837
Reason #3: Texas’ Debt
Texas owes too much money!!! You guys
borrowed a lot of money to help pay for your
revolution. You also ran up a lot of debt with
your worthless redbacks! If we annex you, we
will have to take on that debt! Until you can
pay us (and the other countries) the money
you owe, we don’t want anything to do with
you!
Houston and Annexation:
When Texans voted on their new president in 1836,
they also voted on whether to join the U.S.
Texans overwhelmingly supported annexation… so
did Houston.
However, as we have seen, the U.S. did not…
(Mexico, slavery, debt). Houston worked hard his
first term to change the United States’ mind on the
matter…
How did the United States feel about “The Texas Question”?
“The Texas Question” was what the people of the United States
called the debate over whether or not to annex Texas into the U.S.
Theodore Sedgwick. Thoughts on the Proposed Annexation of Texas to the United States.
(NY: D. Fanshaw, 1844)
Edward Everett Hale. How to Conquer Texas Before Texas Conquers Us.
(Boston: Redding & Co. 8 State St. 17 March 1846)
U.S. objection to annexation
because of slavery
U.S. objection to annexation
because of Mexico’s claims
Some more objections to
annexation… note III and IV.
This cartoon, clipped from a New
Orleans paper in the spring of 1844,
shows President Tyler presiding over
the marriage of "Columbia“ (which
represents the United States) and
Texas. The Mexican eagle hovers in
the background.
In this political cartoon, what do you think
the artist is trying to show? Who do the
different characters represent?
Who was the last president of Texas?
Anson Jones
Anson Jones was elected after Houston left office the second time. He had been a doctor before
he came to Texas. After he left office he nursed an obsessive hatred of Sam Houston because of
events surrounding the annexation. If you want to see where he lived, visit Washington-on-theBrazos State Park. They have his house and farm restored to what it looked like when he lived
there… at least until he killed himself in 1858.
On what date did Texas join the United States?
What number was Texas in the order of states?
The US Congress signed the annexation treaty on February 28, 1845… so that is
recognized as the year we became a state. We were the 28th state to enter the
United States.
When did the president of Texas step down and
the governor take over?
On February 19, 1846, at a ceremony at the capitol in Austin, President Anson
Jones declared “The Republic of Texas is no more”.That day,we became a state
and the first governor, J. Pinckney Henderson took over.
TERMS OF TEXAS ANNEXATION
– Texas could become a state as soon as the
people of Texas approved annexation and adopted
a state constitution
1ST
ANNEXATION?
2nd – Texas could keep its public lands but should
sell some to pay off its debt to the United States
3rd – Texas could be divided into as many as FIVE
separate states (with approval from the Texas
people and the United States)
X
4th – Texas would enter the United States as a
STATE, not as a TERRITORY (a territory is a “step on
the path to statehood”… it is ruled by the US government so it cannot
vote in elections or have any representatives in Congress)
What did Annexation do to the US relationship with Mexico?
Reasons the United States Did NOT Want Texas:
Reason #1:
Admitting Texas
(which was a slave
state) tipped the
balance of votes in
U.S. Congress
towards
_____________?
Slavery
Reason #2:
The United States
did NOT want a
war with Mexico
over Texas.