Texas Admitted as 28th U.S. State

Context

The independent Republic of Texas had its origins in the 1830s settlement of American colonists, many from the southern United States, in the Mexican province of Coahuila y Tejas. These settlers, drawn by generous land grants, quickly outnumbered Mexican residents and chafed under Mexican laws that restricted slavery and immigration. Tensions escalated into open rebellion in 1835, culminating in a declaration of independence on March 2, 1836, and a decisive victory at the Battle of San Jacinto the following month.

What Happened

Early efforts to join the United States foundered on concerns over slavery's expansion and the risk of war with Mexico, which had never recognized Texas independence. By 1843, outgoing President John Tyler revived the issue through secret negotiations, producing a treaty that the Senate rejected in June 1844. James K. Polk's narrow victory in the presidential election later that year, run on an expansionist platform, shifted the political balance. In the final weeks of Tyler's term, Congress passed a joint resolution offering Texas immediate annexation under terms that permitted the new state to retain its public lands and potentially divide into multiple states.

Aftermath

Polk signed the resolution into law on December 29, 1845. Texas voters had already ratified the agreement, and formal transfer of authority occurred on February 19, 1846. Mexico responded by severing diplomatic relations, regarding the annexation as a direct violation of its sovereignty and a casus belli.

Legacy

Texas statehood accelerated U.S. territorial growth under the ideology of Manifest Destiny and sharpened sectional divisions over slavery that would lead to the Civil War. It directly precipitated the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848, whose outcome added vast new western lands and reshaped the balance of power across North America.