Texas annexation

A Restless People By 1840s, Americans restless to expand “Divine Mission” idea-Manifest Destiny Promoted by Nationalism Population increase Rapid economic development Technological advances Reform ideals

Invitation 1821: Americans invited to settle in Texas; SAME ENEMY (Comanche) 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 Annexation: the action of annexing something, especially territory 1836: Texans voted overwhelmingly to join the US… 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 (tariff) 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 Britain was gaining too much influence in TX 1843: U.S. officials work toward annexation 1844: sends annexation treaty to the Senate for approval President John Tyler

The Treaty to Annex Texas Texas would become a U.S. territory (first step toward becoming a state) The U.S. would pay the Republic’s large public debt 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.” Began to believe that it was America’s destiny to annex Texas. John Gast’s “American Progress”

Election of 1844 The Democratic Party nominated James K. Polk of TN-wanted the U.S. to annex Texas and expand west, “re-annexation of Texas”

The Annexation Resolution Opponent= Henry Clay of KY 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 This is HOMEWORK: Read Documents A-D Answer the inquiry questions