Transcript 15.1 The Annexation of Texas

A Restless People
By 1840s, Americans restless to expand
 “Divine Mission” idea-Manifest Destiny
 Promoted by

 Land hungry Americans-rich/sparse lands
 Patriots fear of British taking lands
 Merchants working with Asia
 Democratic minded people-spread freedom
 Nationalists for American Greatness
Invitation



1821: Americans
invited by newly
independent Mexico
to settle in Texas
By 1835: 30,000
whites, 500 slaves
settled in Texas (more
than Tejans of
Mexico)
Agreed to hold up
Mexican Const. 1824
Unsettled Territory


Mexico unhappy
Friction-Mexico tries
to
 Halt further American
expansion
 Free the slaves
(outlawed in 1829)
 Take away Texan self
government
Texas Revolution: The Alamo
1833: Pres. Santa Anna overthrows
constitution of 1824
 Texans call for revolution and
independence (sound familiar?)
 The Alamo: San Antonio; small Texan
force annihilated by Mexican Army
 “Remember the Alamo!”-Sam Houston
 Texans rally and win at Battle of San
Jacinto; proclaim Republic of Texas, The
Lone Star Republic-ask for annexation

The Treaty to Annex Texas
The annexation debate was
long-standing.
 In 1836, Texans had voted
overwhelmingly to join the
United States.
 However, US disagreed over
annexation largely due to
sectional issues

The Treaty to Annex Texas
The North: commerce and
manufacturing.
 The South: agriculture and
slave labor.
 Review: both generally
disagreed on policies affecting
business, slavery and trade

Industrial Northern state
Agricultural Southern state
The Treaty to Annex Texas

North does not want Texas
 Extension of slavery
 Increased Southern
representation in the House
and Senate
 War with Mexico
 Most Southerners wanted
Texas to join the Union
The Treaty to Annex Texas
President John Tyler, a
southerner, favored
annexation
 Feared Great Britain was
gaining too much influence in
Texas
 1843: U.S. officials work
toward annexation
 1844: sends annexation treaty
to the Senate for approval

President John Tyler
The Treaty to Annex Texas


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Under the treaty, Texas would
become a U.S. territory – the
first step toward becoming a
state.
The treaty called for the U.S. to
pay the Republic’s large public
debt.
In exchange, Texas would give
all its public lands to the federal
government.
U.S.
The Treaty to Annex Texas
 Bitterly divided
 North had fought off treaty for
almost 9 years
 After 3 weeks of debate, the
Senate rejected the treaty.
The Treaty to Annex Texas

O’Sullivan and Manifest Destiny
changes minds:
 “The American claim is by the right
of our manifest destiny is to
overspread and to possess (own) the
whole of the continent which
Providence (divine guidance) has
given us.”
John Gast’s
“American Progress”

Many Americans began to believe that
it was America’s destiny to annex
Texas.
The Annexation Resolution
 Issues continue into
presidential election of
1844
 The Democratic Party
nominated James K. Polk
of Tennessee-wanted the
U.S. to annex Texas and
expand west,
“reannexation of Texas”
The Annexation Resolution
 Opponent= Henry Clay of Kentucky.
 Originally Clay opposed annexation
 Softened his opposition to try and
reassure northern voters
  LOOKS WEAK
 Costs him the election by offending
both Northern and Southern voters.
Henry Clay
Joint Resolution
 Polk’s win=sign of approval
 Tyler requests a joint resolution, or
formal expression of intent, for
annexation
 Joint Resolution: only requires
majority from both Houses instead of
2/3
 Passed in February 1845
Texas Enters the United States

The joint resolution’s terms:
 Texas would enter as a state rather
than a territory
 Write a new state constitution
 Could keep its public lands, but
some would have to be sold to pay
the public debt.

December 29, 1845, Polk signed the
Texas Admission Act, making Texas
the 28th state
Reading Like A Historian
Read Documents A-D
 Answer the inquiry questions
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20 minutes