Texas has a rich history of independence, first breaking away from Mexico and later seceding from the U.S. during the Civil War, reflecting its unique position and pride. Initially, American settlers migrated to Texas with Mexican consent but tensions over control and taxation led to rebellion and a brief period of independence. Texas’s integration into the United States was solidified through the Mexican-American War, but internal strife regarding its role in the Union has resurfaced, with Texans sometimes expressing a desire for independence, questioning whether a modern secession could be feasible.
Texas was part of Mexico, but thinly populated. Land-hungry Americans migrating west began to cross the border and settle there, at first with the consent of the Mexican government. As the population increased and Mexico was going through financial and political instability, the government tried to tighten control over Texas and collect taxes from the local population. This touched off a rebellion that resulted in 10 years of independence for the breakaway state until it agreed to join the United States in 1845.
The peace settlement resulted in the United States taking over about half of Mexico's territory, which today makes up the states of the American Southwest. The big takeaway for this discussion is that it decisively confirmed the place of Texas as a permanent part of the United States, with its border at the Rio Grande.
It might be surprising to realize that it was just 16 years later that Texas seceded along with the other southern states. So clearly, it was still uneasy with its position in the country, uneasy about the power of the federal government over their independent-minded people.
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