It took "nine long and bruising years" for the Republic of Texas to join the United States. Why did it take so long? Who were the people involved in this process? Explore the Texas Annexation through the articles, artwork, and documents...

Article in which the author takes us through the history of Texas from the time Americans arrived and settled in the area to annexation, and finally, war with Mexico over the territory. With photographs and links to related resources.

Explains how Texas came to become part of the Union in 1845, at its own request. This precipitated the Mexican-American War.

Anson Jones, the fifth president of Texas, led Texas as it became the 28th state of the United States. Explore his early years, learn how he attained the presidency, and check out primary texts and timelines that provide a complete look...

A detailed history of the Republic of Texas, starting with its initial birth in 1836 when its Constitution was written, and the end of Texas's conflict with Mexico. The article discusses the many issues faced by the new Republic, the...

Read about Anson Jones's influence on the Annexation of Texas. A picture of Anson Jones is also included on this website.

What happened to the Texas Navy when the revolution was over and Texas was annexed by the U.S. in 1846? Check out primary texts from this time in Texas' history to research this topic: "First four pages of Edwin Moore's claims for...

Click on the sliding bar and watch how the United States territory grew with the Louisiana Purchase, Florida Acquisitions, Texas Annexation, Oregon Country, and Mexican Cession.

Click on this map to see the boundaries of Mexico, Texas, and the United States before the Mexican Cession, and then click again to see the land ceded to the U.S. after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Be sure to click to see the key...

On December 29, 1845, Texas officially joined the Union as a slave state, after lengthy delays.

Who Was Known As the Father of Texas? Who Was Known As the Yellow Rose of Texas? This resource identifies a selection of famous people from Texas history, and provides a biography for each.

An explanation of the difficulties the Republic of Texas encountered when deciding whether to join the Union. Also discusses President James Polk's efforts to expand the territories held by the United States, which brought him into...

Become a geography whiz as you learn how the United States was settled. Discover how the continent was irrevocably changed by European colonization, the events that caused the wholesale displacement and decimation of the land's original...

Summarizes the end of the Texas Revolution and the formation of the new Republic, followed by annexation of Texas to become a state. Included are lists of important figures in the Republic of Texas, and the names of the government...

Article on the era of westward expansion and the resulting Mexican American War. The author demonstrates how Manifest Destiny and frontier settlement led to the annexation of Texas and ultimately war with Mexico over the territory.

Quickly following Texan independence, the United States admitted Texas into the republic as a slave state.

A brief look at the declaration of independence from Mexico by Texas in 1836, the removal of restrictions on slavery, and how this dramatically increased the population and led to a much greater reliance on the cotton industry in the...

An activity guide where students refer to the Texas Almanac, which is free to download, for information needed to complete assigned tasks. In this lesson, students examine the significant people involved in the annexation of Texas and...

An activity guide where students refer to the Texas Almanac, which is free to download, for information needed to complete assigned tasks. In this lesson, they look at the history of a Texas county and its courthouse and fill in a data...

After a brief discussion of Manifest Destiny in other parts of country, read about the Texas rebellion against Mexico, the battles against Santa Anna, and the treaties that made Texas an independent country. [pdf]

Examines the circumstances surrounding Texas's entry into the Union in 1845 as a slave state. It was an uneasy union, with ongoing controversy around the issue of slavery. This lasted through the Mexican-American War and helped to...

Why did Mexico encourage settlement of Americans in Texas? Why did the Americans chafe under Mexican rule? Find out how this led to the Texas Revolution and the declaration of Texas as an independent country.

This in-depth resource presents a history of the American West from pre-Columbian times until World War I with profiles, documents, and images. It encourages visitors to link these into patterns of historical meaning for themselves....

After examining a map showing the expansion of the United States, click to read about each addition to the country and see where that addition is. Play Expansion Concentration to test your skills.