The First Sectional Crisis: The 1844-1845 Texas Annexation Debate

https://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/ugresearch/2019/2019all/182/thumbnail.jpgThe topic of this paper is the Texas annexation and the role of sectionalism. Looking at Texas as the start the sectionalism issue within America and connecting with political scholars that discuss the sectional crisis within this annexation. Where I differ is that I view this as not just another sectional crisis but the first. Looking at the Missouri Compromise as the act that began to split America along ideological and geographical divides. To see this, this paper engages first four prominent voices from within the Democrat and Whig parties. Using them allows you to see how the ideologies that they support. With the Democrats you see how the prominent men are Southern and pro-slavery and their speeches and letters support slavery in a way that slave owners have. The Whigs prominent members are Northern and anti-slavery. The last section looks at four men who are key to understand sectionalism. You have one who losses the support of a region by not supporting their ideas. Another tries to be moderate and is forced by his state to support the regions ideologies. The last two defied their party to vote for what their region supported and resulted in the Texas annexation. Understanding Texas as the start of the sectionalism crisis it gives a clearer understanding of events to follow. Events such as the Mexican American War, Bloody Kansas and the Civil War.