1. Warm-up Which statement best supports pro-annexation?
a) “The admission of Texas into this Union will prove, sooner or later, an element of overwhelming ruin to the Republic.”
b) “Let Texas be annexed, and the authority and laws of the United States be established and maintained within her limits.”

2. Warm-up
What is the best conclusion that can be drawn from the following quote?
“You will perceive that Texas is presented to the union as a bride adorned for her espousal. But if, now so confident of the union, she should be rejected, her mortification would be indescribable. She has sought the United States, and this is the third time she has consented. Were she now to be spurned it would forever terminate expectation on her part, and it would then not only be left for the United States to expect that she would seek some other friend.”

3. Statehood
Discussion: What are some of the issues the Republic of Texas faced? How could they be solved?

4. Nation divided
Sectionalism – excessive loyalty to a region or section, creating prejudice.
1836 – Texas was a slave-owning state and would tip the balance of power in Congress
North – Against
South – For
West – Undecided,
mostly territories

5. Attempts at Annexation
1836 – Texans vote for it/U.S. turns them down
1844 – The Republic and U.S. Congress draft a treaty to make Texas a territory
Texans approve it
U.S. denies it again
Why would the U.S. reject the
annexation of Texas?

6. Why not Texas?
U.S. would get public land to sell to pay off Texas’s huge debt
Would add Texas as a territory, not a state
North does not want a slave state
Afraid of causing a war with Mexico
Wanted to avoid controversy with their constituents (voters back home) during an election year

7. James Polk Was elected the 11th U.S. president in 1844
Wanted to annex Texas
Why??????
Grow the U.S.
Democrat from the South

8. Annexation
Congress decided to pass a joint resolution [passed in both houses of Congress] for annexation.
The joint resolution contained terms more favorable to Texas than those of the treaty of Texas could…
Enter the U.S. as soon as its people approved annexation and adopted a state constitution, bypassing the time Texas would have just been a territory
Keep its public lands but could sell some of it to pay off debts
Be divided into as many as 5 states with the approval of Texas and the U.S.

9. Annexation
Anson Jones and the Texas legislature came up with a new state constitution and overwhelmingly voted for annexation
On Oct. 13, 1845, Texans approved annexation by a vote of 4,254 to 257
On Dec. 29, 1845, President Polk signed the resolution that made Texas a state

10. In 1845, Mexico finally recognizes Texas independence
France and Britain did not want the U.S. to grow
They convinced Mexico to recognize that Texas was independent, with the condition that the Republic must reject annexation
Too late at that point, Texans just want annexation

11. “The Republic of Texas is No More”
On Feb. 19, 1846, at a ceremony in front of the Texas Capitol, Texas officially became a state
Anson Jones, the last Texas President, handed over Texas to the 1st governor, James P. Henderson

12. Can Texas Secede from the Union?