Question

Which of the following was not a reason the United States was reluctant to annex Texas?

The United States did not want to fight a war with Mexico.
Annexing Texas would add more slave territory to the United States and anger abolitionists.
Texans considered U.S. citizens inferior and did not want to be part of their country.
Adding Texas would upset the balance between free and slave states in Congress.

Answer 1

The correct answer to the question 'Which of the following was not a reason the United States was reluctant to annex Texas?' is C. Texans considered U.S. citizens inferior and did not want to be part of their country.

Step-by-step explanation:

The United States was reluctant to annex Texas for several reasons, but one of the reasons that was not a factor was Texans considering U.S. citizens inferior and not wanting to be part of their country. The other three options listed were indeed reasons for the United States' reluctance:

1. The United States did not want to fight a war with Mexico: Annexing Texas would almost certainly lead to a war with Mexico, which the United States wanted to avoid.
2. Annexing Texas would add more slave territory and anger abolitionists: Adding Texas to the United States would expand slavery, which was a contentious issue at the time, and would anger abolitionists who were against the expansion of slavery.
3. Adding Texas would upset the balance between free and slave states in Congress: By adding Texas as a slave state, it would upset the balance between free and slave states in Congress, which could lead to further conflicts over the issue of slavery.

Answer 2

The United States was reluctant to annex Texas because it did not want to fight a war with Mexico.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 1836 the Republic of Texas was created, independent of Mexico. In August of 1837, Memucan Hunt Jr., ambassador of Texas in the United States, presented a proposal of annexation to Van Buren's administration. Believing that the annexation would lead to a war with Mexico, the US administration rejected the Texan proposal.

Finally, in 1845, James Polk became president and annexed Texas to the United States. This situation led to the Mexican-American War, as Van Buren had predicted.