Texas annexation facts for kids
The Texas annexation was a big event in American history. It was when the independent Republic of Texas joined the United States to become a state. This happened through a special decision by the U.S. Congress, and Texas officially became the 28th state on December 29, 1845.
Texas had declared its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. Right away, many Texans wanted to join the United States. However, the U.S. government, under President Andrew Jackson, said no at first. There were big disagreements in the U.S. about whether to add Texas, mainly because Texas allowed a specific labor system that was a major point of debate in the country. Also, the U.S. wanted to avoid a war with Mexico, which did not recognize Texas's independence.
By the early 1840s, Texas was facing economic problems. Its president, Sam Houston, even started talking with Mexico, with help from the British, to see if Mexico would officially recognize Texas as an independent country.
Then, in 1843, U.S. President John Tyler decided he wanted Texas to join the U.S. He believed it would help him gain support and also prevent other countries, like Britain, from influencing Texas in ways that might affect the labor system in the southern U.S. Tyler worked secretly with the Texas government to create a treaty for annexation in April 1844.
When this treaty was presented to the U.S. Senate, the details became public. The idea of adding Texas became a huge topic in the 1844 presidential election. Many people who supported adding Texas helped James K. Polk become the presidential candidate. Polk strongly believed in Manifest destiny, the idea that the U.S. was meant to expand across the continent.
In June 1844, the Senate rejected Tyler's treaty. But after Polk won the election, President Tyler, in his final months in office, pushed Congress to approve annexation using a different method. Congress eventually passed a bill that offered Texas immediate statehood. President Tyler signed this bill on March 1, 1845. Texas accepted the offer, and President Polk officially signed the bill on December 29, 1845, making Texas a state. Texas formally joined the U.S. on February 19, 1846, which soon led to the Mexican–American War in April of that year.
Contents
- What Was the Texas Annexation?
- Images for kids
- See also
What Was the Texas Annexation?
The Texas annexation was the process where the independent country of Texas became a part of the United States. This was a big step for both Texas and the U.S., changing the map and future of North America. It involved many political discussions, treaties, and votes.
Texas's Journey to Independence
Before it became a U.S. state, Texas had a long and interesting history.
Early Spanish and Mexican Texas
Texas was first explored by Spain in 1519. For over 300 years, it was part of the huge Spanish Empire. The border between the U.S. and Spanish Texas was set in a treaty in 1819. This treaty, called the Florida Purchase Treaty, gave Florida to the U.S. but confirmed that Texas belonged to Spain. However, many Americans still wanted Texas because of its fertile lands.
When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Texas became part of Mexico. Both U.S. Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson tried to buy parts of Texas from Mexico, but they were not successful.
American Settlers and Independence
In the early 1820s, many American settlers, especially from the southern U.S., moved to Mexican Texas. They were invited by the Mexican government to help populate the area and grow cotton. Stephen F. Austin was a key leader for these settlers. Many of these settlers brought with them a specific labor system that was common in the southern U.S.
Mexican authorities initially allowed Texas to mostly govern itself. However, they soon realized they were losing control. Laws against the labor system and a requirement for settlers to be Catholic were often ignored. In 1829–1830, Mexico tried to enforce new rules, including outlawing the labor system and stopping more American immigration. This led to unrest.
In 1835, Mexican President Santa Anna sent an army to Texas and ended its local self-government. In response, Texans declared their independence on March 2, 1836. Texas General Sam Houston led rebel forces to defeat the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna, while a prisoner, signed an agreement for Texas independence. However, the Mexican government refused to accept this agreement.
After gaining independence, Texas faced challenges. Its uncertain status and the threat of renewed war with Mexico made many people hesitant to move there. The price of cotton, Texas's main export, also dropped, leading to economic difficulties and large debts for the new republic.
Early Attempts to Join the U.S.
Many Texans wanted to join the United States right after their independence.
President Andrew Jackson supported Texas independence but waited until his last day in office to officially recognize Texas as an independent nation. He was careful because adding Texas, a large region with a specific labor system, would cause big political problems between different parts of the U.S.
Jackson's successor, President Martin Van Buren, also worried about the political issues and the risk of war with Mexico. He rejected Texas's formal request to join the U.S. in 1837. Efforts in Congress to annex Texas also failed. Because of these rejections, Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar withdrew Texas's offer to join the U.S. in 1838.
President Tyler's Plan for Texas
When John Tyler became president in 1841, the situation changed.
President Tyler had been kicked out of his own Whig party. He decided to focus on foreign policy to make his presidency successful. He strongly believed in expanding the U.S. and protecting its existing institutions, including the labor system. His advisors told him that acquiring Texas would help him get re-elected.
Tyler worked with his Secretary of State, Abel P. Upshur, to build support for annexation. They argued that Texas was important for national security and economic growth. Tyler also replaced his anti-annexation Secretary of State, showing his strong commitment to the plan.
Secret Talks and British Concerns
In 1843, Secretary Upshur sent a letter to the U.S. minister in Great Britain, expressing concern about Britain's efforts to end the labor system globally. He even leaked this letter to the press to stir up anti-British feelings among Americans.
Tyler and Upshur were worried that Britain might try to influence Texas to end its labor system, which they believed would threaten the U.S. southern states. Based on these concerns, President Tyler ordered secret talks with Texas minister Isaac Van Zandt in September 1843 to negotiate annexation.
Texas's Own Negotiations
At the same time, Texas President Sam Houston was also talking with Mexico, with Britain's help, about officially recognizing Texas's independence. Texas was more concerned about avoiding another war with Mexico than about Britain's views on the labor system.
Texas was hesitant to sign a treaty with the U.S. without a promise of military protection, as they feared Mexico would attack if annexation talks became public. The U.S. President couldn't promise this without Congress's approval. However, Secretary Upshur gave a verbal assurance of military defense. This led President Houston to agree to reopen annexation talks with the U.S. in January 1844.
The Treaty and Its Challenges
As secret treaty discussions continued, Mexican diplomats found out. Mexico's minister to the U.S. warned that if the U.S. approved annexation, Mexico would break diplomatic ties and declare war. Secretary Upshur denied knowing about the talks and continued negotiations.
The Tyler-Texas treaty was almost finished when its main creators, Secretary Upshur and Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer, died in an accident on a ship in February 1844. President Tyler then chose John C. Calhoun to replace Upshur. Calhoun was a strong supporter of annexation and protecting the existing labor system.
The 1844 Election and Texas
The Tyler-Texas treaty was signed on April 12, 1844. It planned for Texas to join the U.S. as a territory. Texas would give its public lands to the U.S., and the U.S. government would take on Texas's debts. The treaty also allowed for several new states to be created from Texas, with some likely to allow the existing labor system.
President Tyler sent the treaty to the Senate for approval. Secretary of State Calhoun also sent a letter with the treaty, arguing that annexation was necessary to protect the existing labor system in the U.S. He hoped this would unite southern politicians in favor of the treaty.
Tyler and the Polk Presidential Nomination
The treaty and Calhoun's letter were leaked to the public, causing a national debate. Many believed the main goal of annexation was to expand the labor system. This made many people in the North oppose the treaty.
The leading presidential candidates, Martin Van Buren (Democrat) and Henry Clay (Whig), both spoke out against the treaty. Texas annexation became a central issue in the 1844 election. President Tyler, who was no longer part of the Whig party, tried to get the Democrats to support his expansionist ideas.
Eventually, the Democrats nominated James K. Polk, who strongly supported adding Texas and expanding U.S. territory. Polk won the election, showing that many Americans supported the idea of Manifest Destiny and acquiring Texas.
Congress Debates Annexation
Even after the election, getting Texas into the Union was not easy.
The Senate Rejects the Treaty
When the Senate voted on the Tyler-Texas treaty on June 8, 1844, it was rejected by a large margin (16–35). Most Whigs voted against it, while Democrats were split but mostly in favor. President Tyler had expected this, partly because of the controversy caused by Secretary Calhoun's letter. Tyler then asked the House of Representatives to consider other ways to approve the treaty.
A New Plan: The Joint Resolution
In December 1844, President Tyler, in his final months in office, tried again. He suggested that Congress use a "joint resolution" to annex Texas. This method only needed a simple majority vote in both the House and Senate, instead of the two-thirds majority required for a treaty in the Senate. This was a good strategy because Democrats, who largely supported annexation, had a strong majority in the House.
This new plan brought back disagreements about Texas. Some northern Democrats were worried about expanding the labor system, while others felt pressure to support adding Texas due to the popular idea of Manifest Destiny.
The Final Vote and President Tyler's Action
Southern Whigs in Congress, like Representative Milton Brown, proposed an amendment to the bill. This amendment would recognize Texas as a state where the labor system was allowed. It also said Texas would keep its public lands and debts. Crucially, it would make the U.S. government responsible for settling the disputed border between Texas and Mexico, potentially making Texas much larger.
Democrats quickly adopted this amendment, and the House approved the amended bill on January 25, 1845. The bill then moved to the Senate.
In the Senate, there was still a lot of debate. Senator Thomas Hart Benton proposed a compromise that would leave the decision about the labor system in western Texas to the future President Polk. President-elect Polk encouraged Senate Democrats to support a bill that included both the Brown and Benton ideas, giving him options once he took office.
On February 27, 1845, the Senate voted 27–25 to admit Texas. All Democrats and three southern Whigs voted for it. The next day, the House also passed the bill. President Tyler signed the bill on March 1, 1845.
Texas Joins the United States!
Even though President Tyler signed the bill, many expected President-elect Polk to make the final decisions about how Texas would join. However, on his last full day in office, March 3, 1845, President Tyler sent an offer of immediate annexation to Texas, using the terms that favored the expansion of the labor system.
When President Polk took office on March 4, he decided to uphold Tyler's action. He encouraged Texas to accept the offer without any changes. Polk wanted to avoid long negotiations that might allow other countries to interfere.
On May 5, 1845, Texas President Anson Jones called for a convention to consider the annexation and a new constitution. On June 23, the Texas Congress accepted the U.S. offer. On July 4, the Texas convention almost unanimously approved joining the U.S. The citizens of Texas then approved the annexation and the new constitution on October 13, 1845.
President Polk officially signed the legislation making Texas the 28th state of the Union on December 29, 1845. Texas officially became part of the United States on February 19, 1846.
Border Disputes Lead to War
After Texas joined the U.S., there was a big disagreement about its border with Mexico. Texas claimed the Rio Grande River as its border, based on the Treaties of Velasco. However, Mexico insisted the border was the Nueces River, about 100 miles north, and still didn't recognize Texas's independence.
In November 1845, President Polk sent a representative, John Slidell, to Mexico City to offer to buy the disputed land and other Mexican territories. But Mexico's government was unstable and unwilling to sell.
When Slidell returned, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move U.S. troops to the Rio Grande. Mexico saw this as an invasion and prepared for war. This led to the Mexican–American War in April 1846. After the U.S. won the war and signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico gave up its claims to Texas, and the Rio Grande became the official border. The U.S. also gained other territories, including parts of what are now California and New Mexico.
How Texas Annexation Set a Precedent
The way Texas was annexed was unusual. Instead of a treaty approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate, it was done through a joint resolution passed by simple majorities in both the House and Senate. This method was later used again.
For example, in 1897, President William McKinley wanted to annex the Republic of Hawaii. When he couldn't get enough Senate votes for a treaty, Congress used the same joint resolution method that was used for Texas. This led to the Newlands Resolution and the annexation of Hawaii as a U.S. territory in July 1898.
Images for kids
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Abel P. Upshur, one of President Tyler's secretaries of state
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John C. Calhoun, another of President Tyler's secretaries of state
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Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas
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Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri
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On August 12, 1898, the flag of the Republic of Hawaii over ʻIolani Palace was lowered.
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The United States flag was raised to signify Hawaii's annexation.
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See also
In Spanish: Anexión de Texas para niños
