southern democratic delegates were opposed to the annexation of texas.
who was opposed to the annexation of texas?
southern democratic delegates
the republic of texas declared independence from the republic of mexico on march 2, 1836. at the time the vast majority of the texian population favored the annexation of the republic by the united states. the leadership of both major u.s. political parties, the democrats and the whigs, opposed the introduction of texas, a vast slave-holding region, into the volatile political climate of the pro- and anti-slavery sectional controversies in congress. moreover, they wished to avoid a war with mexico, whose government refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of its rebellious northern province. with texas's economic fortunes declining by the early 1840s, the president of the texas republic, sam houston, arranged talks with mexico to explore the possibility of securing official recognition of independence, with the united kingdom mediating.
texas annexation
jackson strongly favored the annexation of texas, a feat he had been unable to accomplish during his own presidency. while jackson still feared that annexation would stir up anti-slavery sentiment, his belief that the british would use texas as a base to threaten the united states overrode his other concerns. he also insisted that texas was part of the louisiana purchase and therefore rightfully belonged to the united states. at the request of senator robert j. walker of mississippi, acting on behalf of the tyler administration, which also supported annexation, jackson wrote several letters to texas president sam houston, urging him to wait for the senate to approve annexation and lecturing him on how much being a part of the united states would benefit texas. initially prior to the 1844 election, jackson again supported van buren for president and polk for vice president. a treaty of annexation was signed by tyler on april 12, 1844, and submitted to the senate. when a letter from secretary of state calhoun to british ambassador richard pakenham linking annexation to slavery was made public, anti-annexation sentiment exploded in the north and the bill failed to be ratified. van buren decided to write the "hamlet letter," opposing annexation. this effectively extinguished any support that van buren might previously have enjoyed in the south. the whig nominee, henry clay, also opposed annexation, and jackson recognized the need for the democrats to nominate a candidate who supported it and could therefore gain the support of the south. if the plan failed, jackson warned, texas would not join the union and would potentially fall victim to a mexican invasion supported by the british.
andrew jackson