Texas Admission to the United States

On December 29, 1845, the Republic of Texas was officially admitted to the United States as the 28th state. This marked the culmination of a complex and contentious process of annexation that had been hotly debated both within the United States and in Texas.

Background

The path to annexation began with Texas’s fight for independence from Mexico, which it achieved on March 2, 1836. Following its victory, Texas operated as an independent republic, though it faced economic difficulties and threats from both Mexico and Native American tribes. Texas President Sam Houston pushed for annexation to the United States as a solution to these issues, but his efforts were stalled by concerns over slavery and the balance of power between free and slave states in the U.S.

Legislative Process

In the United States, the annexation of Texas was a fiercely debated topic, with pro-annexation advocates arguing for the benefits of expansion and opponents fearful of war with Mexico and the impact on the sectional balance of power. Eventually, the U.S. Congress approved a joint resolution proposing annexation on March 1, 1845, during President John Tyler’s administration.

When James K. Polk took office later that year, he moved swiftly to finalize the process. The people of Texas voted overwhelmingly in favor of annexation in a referendum held in October 1845. Subsequently, a Texas state constitution was drafted and ratified, culminating in Congress’s acceptance of Texas’s statehood in December.

Consequences

The annexation of Texas had considerable implications. It led directly to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), fueled by disputes over the boundaries of Texas. The victory of the United States in this war significantly expanded American territory through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ceded present-day California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other states to the U.S.

The addition of Texas as a slave state also intensified the national debate over slavery, contributing to the tensions that eventually sparked the American Civil War. As a large state with considerable resources, Texas further cemented the notion of Manifest Destiny — the idea that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent.

In summary, Texas’s admission to the Union on December 29, 1845, was a decisive moment in American history, marking a pivotal expansion of U.S. territory and setting off a chain of events that would have profound effects on the nation.