What if Texas had stayed in the Union?

[18TH TEXAS VOL INFANTRY]

What if Texas did not leave the Union. Sam Houston was against Texas withdrawing and fought hard to keep Texas within the Union. Would not having a state like Texas on the flanks of the Confederate States bring about a whole different approach to Confederate forces opening military action.
With Texas ports open to landing Union troops and supplies, along with the Union Regiments raised in Texas a whole different approach would have been in play.

James Young

[ole]

Scary thought; excellent question.

Without Texas, firing on Ft. Sumter would not have been one of Davis's options -- there may well not have been a Confederacy.

Without Sumter, there would not likely have been an Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. The resulting Confederacy, if any, would have been weak, indeed.

The absence of Texas directs the speculation on an entirely different path. Consider that had Texas not seceded, there may well have been a civil war within the state over the issue. Then we'd have a Texas Civil War to talk about rather than the USA vs CSA unpleasantness.

Ole

[JohnW in E.TN]

James,

Wasn't one of the stipulations for Texas joining the Union, its right to split into three states if it so chose? Not sure where I read this, but I'm I sure there was some sort of agreement to that effect.

Regards,

John W.

[18TH TEXAS VOL INFANTRY]

I believe they had the right to split into 5 states, I also believe they had the right to return to an independent Republic. However, I believe the founding fathers of Texas always had the goal of being in the Union. That is why I pose the question for those that founded Texas where still in Power and had a strong influence in the direction taken by the State. Thus, Texas may have gone the other direction. All hale Pres. Lincoln?

James

[r_moody]

Once in the Union Article IV Section 3 permits the division of states under certain circumstances. Maine split off from Massachusetts under this article around 1820.
So Texas or anyone else could divide with the consent of the state and congress.
It reads,
Article VI
Section 3. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union; but no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state.

Rick

[18TH TEXAS VOL INFANTRY]

It was five states, reponse from the United States Government to TEXAS

Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has passed resolutions providing for the annexation of Texas to that Union, which resolutions were approved by the President of the United States on the first day of March, 1845; and whereas, the President of the United States has submitted to Texas the first and second sections of the said resolution, as the basis upon which Texas may be admitted as one of the States of the said Union; and whereas, the existing government of the republic of Texas has assented to the proposals thus made, the terms and conditions of which are as follow:


"JOINT RESOLUTION for annexing Texas to the United States.



"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress doth consent that the territory properly included within, and rightfully belonging to the republic of Texas, may be erected into a new State, to be called the State of Texas, with a republican form of government, to be adopted by the people of said republic, by deputies in convention assembled, with the consent of the existing government, in order that the same may be admitted as one of the States of this Union. "2. And be it further resolved, That the foregoing consent of Congress is given upon the following conditions, and with the following guarantees, to wit: First. Said State to be formed, subject to the adjustment by this government of all questions of boundary that may arise with other governments; and the constitution thereof, with the proper evidence of its adoption by the people of said republic of Texas, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, to be laid before Congress for its final action, on or before the first day of January, 1846. Second. Said State, when admitted into the Union, after ceding to the United States all public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports, and harbors, navy and navy yards, docks, magazines, arms and armaments, and all other property and means pertaining to the public defence belonging to the said republic of Texas, shall retain all the public funds, debts, taxes, and dues of every kind which may belong to or be due and owing to the said republic; and shall also retain all the vacant and unappropriated lands lying within its limits, to be applied to the payment of the debts and liabilities of said republic of Texas; and the residue of said lands, after said debts and liabilities, to be disposed of as said State may direct; but in no event are said debts and liabilities to become a charge upon the government of the United States. territory north of said Missouri compromise line, slavery, or involuntaryThird. New States of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the federal constitution; and such States as may be formed out of that portion of said territory lying south of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north latitude, commonly known as the Missouri compromise line, shall be admitted into the Union, with or without slavery, as the people of each State asking admission may desire; and in such State or States as shall be formed out of said servitude,
(except for crime,) shall be prohibited

The State was allowed to form 4 other states beside the State of Texas.

At the time Texas joined the Union, she extended through New Mexico Colorado, Wyoming Oklahoma and not until the Compromise of 1850 did she take her present state form after a payment from the Union Goverment.

James

[r_moody]

I think that there were three states that the CSA needed to survive and prosper. Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas. VA and TN for their manufacturing base and Texas for the Beeves and westard expansion. After Fort Donaldson TN was undefendable. After Vicksburg fell, Texas became of far less value. Had Texas remained in the Union the war would have been over much sooner if it started at all. The same could be said for the other three states. Without all three the war would have been over much sooner.
Rick

[manofdreds]

I read that it was 5 states. Texas was something of an enigma. The founders of Texas fought the mexican government for its independence in which one of the issues was slavery. Mexico wanted it banned in the new territory. Texas wanted the right to have slaves. Then the civil war comes along and texas wanted to stay in the union but uphold its slavery rights. I think if Texas became a "border state" Lincoln would've invaded texas immediately because of the threat from Mexico, Spain, and even France.

[RebAl]

The reason Texas never split into 5 seperate States was because no one could agree who would have the Alamo in their State.

[18TH TEXAS VOL INFANTRY]

England did not wish for Texas to join the Union, In fact she had thought about taking Military action against Texas in order to prevent such. England was worried about the contiued expansion west of the United States, France all had already established diplomatic relations within the Republic, Diplomatic Residence still exist in Austin.

England actually pressured Santa Anna and the Mexican Governement to back off their claims on Texas and slavery issues in order to calm Texas and help in the prevention of her joining the United States.

If England had invaded Texas, would the United States have allied with Texas?
Could the United States have faced a new war with England? Mexico, for surely would have allied with England, and France was Allied with Mexico?

With Texas extending to Montana, the expansion westward of the United States would have been in doubt, something England dearly wished to place in check.

James