Rising Sectionalism and Texas Annexation

Grades: 9-12                                           Time: 80-90 min

Topics: Race, Slavery, Civil Rights, Justice, Civil Discourse, Sectionalism, Texas Annexation, 19^th Century Politics…

Goal/Central Focus Question: How did sectional issues over slavery influence political debates over Texas annexation?

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will analyze a primary source by contextualizing the source, examining it for potential bias, and creating historical interpretations supported by evidence from the text.
2. Students will explain how sectional issues over slavery played a key role in the political debates over Texas annexation.
3. Students will connect historical themes to current topics and discuss the role of civil discourse and political cooperation in America’s democratic process today.

Lesson Overview: Welcome back to a new 4-lesson unit that focuses on Rutherford B. Hayes and his evolving views on anti-slavery as he transformed from an anti-abolitionist to a defender of freedom seekers. This second lesson provides students with the contextual knowledge to understand the fundamental issues related to race, slavery, and civil rights leading up to the Civil War with a specific focus on the sectional issue over slavery and its growing influence on national debates during the 19^th century, using Texas annexation as an example. It also offers students an opportunity to take an active role in history and practice their historical analysis skills with a focused emphasis on examining bias and perspective in primary sources. The primary source analysis serves as a lens to explore these larger historical themes while also presenting a unique window into the lives of people at this time, engaging students in a conversation with those in the past and enabling further conversation in the present.

(Note- This lesson builds off skills, content, and themes from the previous lesson but can also be used on its own.)

Primary Sources

1. Bryan, Guy M. and Rutherford B. Hayes. “The Bryan Hayes Correspondence, I.” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 25, No.2 (Oct., 1921). Pp 98-120.
   1843. “Bryan to Hayes, Peach Point, December 21, 1843.” p. 107-111
   1844. “Bryan to Hayes, Wytheville, VA, July 1, 1844.” p. 113-115

Optional Primary Sources

2. Clay, Henry. “To the Editors of the National Intelligencer Opposing the Annexation of Texas.” Washington National Intelligencer. (Washington, D.C.), April 27, 1844. Edited and introduced by David Tucker. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/letter-to-the-editors-of-the-national-intelligencer-opposing-the-annexation-of-texas/

Pre-work

Students may read information in their textbooks or additional classroom materials regarding the debates over Texas annexation and the subsequent Mexican-American War, especially with a focus on the sectional crisis over slavery and westward expansion. This pre-reading can be completed prior to the lesson or after the opening activity and should provide a general overview of the era with enough foundational knowledge on the annexation of Texas to begin reading the primary sources.

Contextual Reading Suggestions

1. “Annexing Texas.” Khan Academy. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-early-republic/age-of-jackson/a/annexing-texas
2. Neu, C.T. “Annexation.” Texas State Historical Society. Last modified November 1, 1994. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/annexation
3. Whitehurst, Katie. “Early Statehood: 1845-1861.” Texas PBS. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://texasourtexas.texaspbs.org/the-eras-of-texas/early-statehood/
4. Winders, Bruce. “July 4^th Annexation and Independence.” The Alamo. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.thealamo.org/remember/military-occupation/independence-and-annexation

Students may record these vocabulary words in their notebooks for reference throughout the class. These words can also be displayed on a classroom board to support student learning. Or, if time allows, students may be provided with the words and asked to research and develop their own definitions.

Vocabulary

Opening & Main Instruction (10 min)

Optional Activity:

Divide the class into two halves but select a few students from the whole to stand at the front of the class isolated from the rest. Explain that as a whole class we will now be sharing our homework duties to help free up time. Select one half that will have homework MWF and the other half that will have homework T/TH. The isolated group of students are now a new independent class that will be sent into the hall and required to do homework every night on their own unless the majority of students vote that they can be re-added into the class. However, if they are re-added, you will switch the nightly homework duties, meaning those who had to do homework MWF will now have to do homework T/TH and those who had homework T/TH will now have homework MWF. Ask what each group wants to do (including the isolated students) and allow time for students to discuss. A representative from each section can make their cases and debate.

• (Note-students are allowed to try and make deals to achieve their desired outcome. For example, it’s not explicitly stated which homework duties the isolated group will be assigned if re-added. They can determine this between themselves if they choose. Additional concerns may be addressed as well, like if the isolated group of students may be picked up by a separate classroom if left out in the hall. Encourage students to be creative in their problem solving).

After a few minutes, ask students to vote (all students can vote independently) and see what the isolated group of students’ fate will be. Wrap up activity and connect to main instruction on the annexation of Texas, which sparked debates in the U.S. that highlighted how northern states and southern states were becoming increasingly divided over the sectional issue of slavery.

Like the isolated group of students, Texas had seceded from Mexico in 1836 but needed a strong country to support their independence. Texas turned to the U.S. for this support, as a large portion of the population had originally immigrated to Texas from the U.S. The U.S., however, was split on the issue of Texas annexation with two major considerations at play: 1. Potential war with Mexico and even more so 2. The expansion of slavery into western territories. The sectional issue over slavery sparked debates between individuals from northern and southern regions regarding the fate of Texas, as the balance of power between free states and slave states would be disrupted if Texas were to be admitted as a slave state (can compare to how the balance of homework duties would shift if the students were re-added to the class). Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at how the rising sectionalism over slavery in the U.S. played a key role in the political debates over Texas Annexation.

Introduce today’s central focus question and learning objectives to students: “How did sectional issues over slavery influence political debates over Texas annexation?”

Student Activities (65-70 min)

Introduce the analysis activity to students:

• Today’s primary sources are two letters from Guy M. Bryan to Rutherford B. Hayes that detail their written debate over Texas annexation. Unfortunately, we don’t have any of Hayes’s corresponding letters, as Bryan burned them in an attempt to reduce the amount of paper he had, so we only have Bryan’s perspective. As such, these letters are an excellent opportunity for students to practice their analysis skills with an additional focus on examining bias in sources. If students are familiar with bias, they can begin the activity. If more support is needed, these questions may be presented to guide student learning.
• Bias in Sources
  • What is bias? A prejudiced opinion either in support of or against a thing, person, or group / A one-sided point of view
  • Where do we see bias in our everyday lives? Link to opening activity, explaining that each group had an agenda that was based on their group and which duties they had been assigned. Bias is a part of the present as much as it is a part of the past, and it’s important we know how to identify it as we analyze both primary and secondary sources to help have a balanced view of history.
  • How do we identify bias in sources? Contextualize the source and ask questions of it. Examples: Who’s writing and why? How does the author know about these events? How does the author support their claims with facts or opinions? Is there any information that might be missing? Does the writing seem one sided? What kind of language is being used and why? Is the author trying to persuade or report the facts?

Pass out the primary sources, “The Bryan-Hayes Correspondence, I” and the Analysis Handout listed in attachments below. Copies of these resources may also be posted to an online class forum like Google Classroom.

• Note for Differentiated Instruction: The Analysis Handout provides a graphic organizer with instructions for annotating primary sources and guiding questions to support student analysis. Please feel free to use and/or adapt any of these tools to best support student learning in your classroom context.
• Teacher modeling may be used to support student analysis. Model how to analyze the primary source, using the graphic organizer to identify an historical term, person, or event that requires more context to understand. Research the topic briefly as a class and create a short summary together, being sure to cite the source with enough information to locate it again. If more support is needed, this activity can be completed as a class. If less support is needed, this step may be skipped to provide a challenge for students. Students who have substantial experience analyzing primary sources may complete the analysis activity without the help of these tools.

Review the materials and instructions with students. This activity can be completed by individuals, pairs, or in groups. It can also be completed together as a class. Encourage students to be curious analyzers by asking questions of the source and investigating unfamiliar topics. Students may also be reminded to follow the main ideas of analysis: “observe, reflect, question.”

Have students read through the primary sources and complete their analyses. Once students have completed their analyses, review student work as a class, summarize key learning, and connect to future lessons. 

• In 1845, the U.S. annexed Texas as a slave state, an event that led to war with Mexico and solidified the question of slavery’s expansion into western territories as a key issue in the U.S. The Bryan-Hayes correspondence reflects how the sectional issue over slavery in the U.S. fueled political debates during the 19^th century, resulting in regional fissures and increased sectionalism among northern and southern states. The U.S. had attempted and would continue to try and resolve this sectional crisis through multiple political compromises and acts, including the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and later through the Compromise of 1850, which will be explored in future lessons. These compromises, of course, did not succeed in resolving the conflict over slavery in the U.S., which eventually culminated in 1861 when the Civil War started.

Closing (5-10 min)

Hold a large group discussion on the role of civil discourse and political cooperation in the democratic process, connecting historical themes to current topics in American government. If helpful to increase student engagement, these discussion questions can be given ahead of time to allow students an opportunity to consider their responses and record their answers. Discussions can also be held in pairs and small groups.

Discussion Questions

• Despite their oppositional views, Hayes and Bryan were life-long friends, only stopping their correspondence during the Civil War when they fought on opposing sides. What do you make of their continued friendship and discourse despite their disagreements?
• Do you think the civil discourse Bryan and Hayes shared occurs between people from opposing political parties today? Why or why not?
• What role does civil discourse and political cooperation play in our democratic process? Can multiple opposing parties work together to accomplish a goal? If so, how? (Connect back to opening activity if applicable)
• Formative assessment: collect students’ completed work and review their findings.

Contingencies

Shorten: The letters can be used as a class reading assignment to begin discussions regarding the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War. The analysis activities can be saved for a future primary source. Students may also choose one of the letters to analyze rather than both. If analysis activities are completed but time is short, student findings and discussion questions can be reviewed the following class day.

Lengthen: Students may read additional primary sources that highlight the opposite viewpoints in the political debate over Texas annexation listed in Optional Primary Resources. Students can compare/contrast the two major viewpoints using a t-chart to better analyze the opposing perspectives in the debates over Texas annexation.

Attachments

Analysis Handout

References and Additional Reading

1. Lang, Andrew. “The Mexican-American War: 175 Years Later.” Teaching American History. Last updated May 13, 2021. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/polk-and-mexican-american-war/
2. “The North and the South.” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/north-and-south