Facts About Texas Annexation

We don’t want

you!!!!

After the Revolution, most Texans wanted to be part of the fabulous United States!

Annexation: to attach or add, especially to something larger or more important.

But WHY don’t you want us???? We are soooo coool!

Reason #1 the U.S. Didn’t Want Us: MexicoThe 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 the still think you legally belong to them! No Way!

No War!

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???

Slave States

13

Free States

13

U.S. in 1837

Slave states?? No Thanks!

Reason #3: Texas’ DebtTexas 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.

Edward Everett Hale. How to Conquer Texas Before Texas Conquers Us. (Boston: Redding & Co. 8 State St. 17 March 1846)

Theodore Sedgwick. Thoughts on the Proposed Annexation of Texas to the United States. (NY: D. Fanshaw, 1844)

U.S. objection to annexation because of Mexico’s claimsU.S. objection to annexation

because of slavery

You are now going to work on the handout in which you will analyze primary sources to better understand the American’s objections to the annexation of Texas. IT WILL BE FOR A DAILY GRADE. You will have 30 minutes to finish it. You may work with a partner.

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.

Some more objections to annexation… note III and IV.

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 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-the-Brazos 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.

Anson Jones

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 ANNEXATION1ST – Texas could become a state as soon as the people approved annexation and adopted a state constitution

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)

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)

ANNEXATION?

X

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 _____________?

Reason #2:The United States did NOT want a war with Mexico over Texas.

Slavery