Southerners were very supportive of the annexation of Texas. There was a growing concern in the South regarding the survival of slavery. The Missouri Compromise limited slavery in the Louisiana Territory to the land that was south of the 36°30’ line. While we were expanding to other regions on our continent, those regions weren’t that well suited for slavery. As a result, there was the potential for more free states joining the Union than slave states in the future.
When Texas wanted to join the Union right after becoming independent in 1836, one of the reasons why the annexation was blocked was because Texas would have been a slave state. There was an attempt to keep the number of free states and slaves the same so that neither side would have an advantage in the Senate. Thus, when the opportunity arose to add Texas as a free state, southerners were very pleased. Plus, there were some free states, such as Iowa and Wisconsin, that were getting ready to join the Union. Adding Texas as a slave state would help to keep the free/slave balance in order in the near future.
There was an economic benefit for adding Texas as a slave state. Texas was an excellent region for growing cotton. The people in Texas wanted slavery to continue, which would assist with the growing of cotton.
There were several reasons why the southerners supported Texas joining the Union as a free state.
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