Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Biography Military History

Juan “Cheno” Cortina: Caudillo of the Rio Grande

Remembered either as a folk hero or an outlaw land baron, Juan “Cheno” Cortina was a Mexican-Tejano rancher and militia leader in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1850s–1870s.

Texapedia StaffAugust 4, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Constitutions of Texas Legal History

Constitution of 1845: Foundations of Statehood

The 1845 Constitution gave Texas its first stable framework of government as a U.S. state—melding republican principles, fiscal restraint, and frontier legal pragmatism into a durable institutional design.

Texapedia StaffMay 22, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Texas History The Republic of Texas

The Road to Annexation: Why Texas Joined the United States in 1845

In 1845, Texas became the 28th state. This in-depth article explores the diplomacy and political intrigue behind annexation.

Texapedia StaffMay 17, 2025

First page of the Joint Resolution H.R. 46 annexing Texas to the United States, passed by the Congress in 1845.

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Featured Texas History

Texas’ Little-Known Right to Split Itself into 5 States

History and theory around an obscure legal quirk, originating in the Annexation Resolution of 1845.

Texapedia StaffNovember 21, 2022

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Mexican Texas (1821–1836)The Civil War The Republic of Texas

History of Slavery in Texas

Gain a deeper understanding of the role of slavery in early Texas law, economy, society, and politics, and the daily realities faced by those enslaved under this system.

Texapedia StaffJune 11, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Geography & Demographics Historic Maps of Texas

Map of Texas and the West After the Mexican-American War (1849)

The U.S. acquired vast new territories in the Mexican-American War, pushing its western boundary far beyond the still wild Texas frontier.

Texapedia StaffSeptember 19, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)The Republic of Texas Treaties & Agreements

Annexation Treaty Between the U.S. and the Republic of Texas

Signed but never ratified, the 1844 annexation treaty tells the story of a failed diplomatic gamble. Read the full text and learn what happened next.

Texapedia StaffJune 26, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Primary Sources in Texas History Speeches & Addresses

A Call to Arms After John Brown’s Raid

Governor Hardin Runnels, who served one term from 1857 to 1859, declared in his farewell speech, "The time has surely arrived when the South should look to her defenses."

Texapedia StaffJuly 27, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Biography Governors of Texas The Civil War

Governor H.R. Runnels: Arch-Secessionist and Rival of Sam Houston

A leader of Texas' antebellum planter class, Hardin Runnels made slavery the centerpiece of his campaign for governor in 1857.

Texapedia StaffAugust 1, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Biography Governors of Texas

Peter H. Bell: Frontier Soldier and Expansionist Texas Governor

A veteran of the Texas Revolution, Mexican-American War, and the Texas Rangers, Bell served as governor from 1849 to 1853.

Texapedia StaffJuly 13, 2025