Americans debated this question as hotly as Congress. Many signed petitions—like this from Vermont—voicing their support or opposition. Supporters feared that if Texas were not annexed, Britain would use it to flood U.S. markets with cheap goods, or it might be used as an invasion route. Opponents feared the admission of another slave state. The treaty to annex Texas was defeated in 1844 but passed the following year.
Petition from Citizens of Vermont Against Annexation of Texas
- 4/1844
Description
Transcript
To the Senate of the United States
The undersigned citizens of Hardwick & State of Vermont, solemnly protest against the annexation of Texas by treaty or in any other mode
without the consent of all the states, as unconstitutional – injurious to their rights and interests and dangerous to the peace and perpetuity of the Union.
[Signatures]
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 595416
Full Citation: Petition from Citizens of Vermont Against Annexation of Texas; 4/1844; Petitions, Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents which were Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations during the 28th Congress; (SEN28A-G5); Petitions and Memorials of the Committee on Foreign Relations, 1817–2000; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archive Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/petition-from-citizens-of-vermont-against-annexation-of-texas/, April 1, 2026]
Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
