In the mid-19th century, the issue of statehood for Florida and Texas was a controversial topic. Both territories were seeking admission as states to the United States, but their admission was met with resistance from some groups.
Florida was admitted as the 27th state in 1845 after a prolonged debate in Congress. The state had been under Spanish control until 1819 when it was acquired by the United States. The main point of contention during the statehood debate was the issue of slavery. Northern representatives in Congress opposed Florida's admission as a slave state, while southern representatives pushed for it. Eventually, a compromise was reached, with Florida being admitted as a slave state, but with the understanding that the Missouri Compromise line would be extended westward to the Pacific to limit the spread of slavery.
The debate over Texas statehood was even more contentious. Texas had been an independent republic for nine years before it was annexed by the United States in 1845. The annexation was opposed by many northern representatives in Congress, who saw it as an attempt by the southern states to expand the number of slave states in the Union. However, southern representatives pushed for Texas's admission, arguing that it was a large and economically important state that would benefit the Union.
In 1846, a border dispute with Mexico led to the Mexican-American War, which further inflamed the debate over Texas's admission as a state. Ultimately, Texas was admitted as the 28th state in 1845, and it became the largest state in the Union at the time.
The admission of Florida and Texas as states had a significant impact on the United States. It increased the number of slave states in the Union and helped to exacerbate tensions between the North and the South that would eventually lead to the American Civil War. Additionally, the annexation of Texas helped to solidify the idea of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it was America's divine mission to expand westward and spread democracy and capitalism.