Narrative History of Texas Annexation
Texans voted in favor of annexation to the United States in the first
election following independence in 1836. However, throughout the Republic
period (1836-1845) no treaty of annexation negotiated between the Republic
and the United States was ratified by both nations.
When all attempts to arrive at a formal annexation treaty failed, the
United States Congress passed--after much debate and only a simple majority--a
Joint Resolution for
Annexing Texas to the United States. Under these terms, Texas would
keep both its public lands and its public debt, it would have the power
to divide into four additional states "of convenient size" in the future
if it so desired, and it would deliver all military, postal, and customs
facilities and authority to the United States government. (Neither this
joint resolution or the ordinance passed by the Republic of Texas' Annexation
Convention gave Texas the right to secede.)
In July 1845, a popularly-elected Constitutional Convention met in Austin
to consider both this annexation proposal as well as a proposed peace
treaty with Mexico which would end the state of war between the two nations,
but only if Texas remained an independent country.
The Convention voted to accept the United States' proposal, and the
Annexation Ordinance
was submitted to a popular vote in October 1845. The proposed Annexation
Ordinance and State Constitution were approved
by the Texas voters and submitted to the United States Congress.
The United States House and Senate, in turn, accepted the Texas state
constitution in a Joint
Resolution to Admit Texas as a State which was signed by the president
on December 29, 1845. Although the formal transfer of government did not
occur until February 19, 1846, Texas statehood dates from the 29th of
December.
Opposition to Texas' admission to the United States was particularly
strong in the North during this period. If a challenge to the constitutionality
of the move could have been made successfully at that time, there is little
doubt that the leaders of the opposition would have instituted such a
suit in the Supreme Court.
Narrative by Jean Carefoot
Texas State Library and Archives Commission April 1997
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