Chapter 12.4 Notes: Texas Becomes a State

I. The Texas Question

A. Annexation an issue during Houston’s second term as president

B. Opponents believed it would benefit Southern slaveholders and spark war with Mexico

C. American immigrants increase popularity of annexation and strengthen ties to United States

D. In 1844 Texas and United States signed a treaty to make Texas a United States territory.

1. Texas would give its public lands to the United States

2. United States would pay all Republic of Texas’s debts.

3. U.S. Senate rejected the treaty

a. Senate opposed another slave state

b. Concerned about Mexico

II. Polk wins Election

A. James K. Polk favors annexation

B. Henry Clay against it

C. Polk’s close victory showed most of the voters favored annexation

1. People moving west favored annexation

2. Most Americans believed in MANIFEST DESTINY

III. Congress and Texas Approve Annexation

A. On February 28, 1845, Congress passed joint resolution for annexation

B. Texas could keep public lands but should sell some to pay its debts

C. Texas could be divided into FIVE states, but only with the approval of both Texas and the United States

D. December 29, 1845, Polk signs treaty making Texas a state

IV. Mexico Offers Recognition

A. Britain and France opposed annexation

B. Mexico convinced to recognize Texas’s independence

C. Texans reject the offer

V. “The Republic of Texas Is No More”

A. In a ceremony in front of the capitol, Anson Jones, turned over the government to J. Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of the state.

B. Texas became the 28th state.

Chapter 14.1 Notes: Statehood

I.Texas State Constitution

  1. The state constitution, written in 1845 replaced the Constitution of 1836.
  2. Very similar to the Louisiana Constitution.
  3. Provided for a 3 Branch government.
  4. Executive Branch: Governor
  5. __2__ year term, no consecutive terms, citizen of Texas for __3__ years before election, at least 30 years old.
  6. Legislative Branch: Congress
  7. House of Representatives serves 2 year terms, Senate serves 4 year terms
  8. Judicial Branch
  9. Supreme Court, District and county courts created
  10. Originally the Governor appointed judges of state courts. It was later amended to have judges voted in.

II.First Elected Officials

  1. 1st Governor: J. Pinckney Henderson
  2. 1st US Senators: Sam HoustonThomas Rusk
  3. 1st Representatives: David Kaufman & Timothy Pillsbury

III.Political Parties

  1. Organized in the United States by 1850
  2. Democratic Party
  3. Most Texan leaders joined
  4. Strong in the South
  5. Represented the interests of the working class: farmerslaborers
  6. Whig Party
  7. Another major US party
  8. Represented business and commercial interests
  9. Few Texans supported them
  10. Opposed expanding slavery into new territories
  11. American/Know-Nothing Party
  12. Tried to keep new immigrants from voting or holding office
  13. Demanded immigration be restricted
  14. The practice of nominating candidates by convention originated with this party.
  15. Republican Party
  16. Formed when Whigs split over the issue of slavery
  17. The new Republican Party strongly opposed the extension of slavery.
  18. This party had no support in Texas before the Civil War.

IV.Federal Aid for Indian Reservations

  1. To stop the conflicts between settlers and Native Americans, the United States government placed many Native Americans on reservations.
  2. The system was not successful because Native Americans were not given enough land on which to survive.
  3. Some Native Americans refused to move onto the reservations.
  4. Many settlers opposed the reservation system, believing that raids in North and Central Texas were made by Native Americans who lived on reservations.