Final answer:
If Texas had relied less on slavery, it would have been more likely to stay with the Union as the state's economy and social structure were deeply connected with the institution. Cultural and economic ties to slavery were critical factors in Texas's decision to join the Confederacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In which of the following situations would Texas most likely have chosen to stay with the Union? The answer is that if Texas relied less on slavery, it would have been more likely to stay with the Union. The reliance on slavery was deeply intertwined with Texas's economy and its social fabric. As American settlers in the Mexican province of Texas were predominantly slave owners and different in their cultural and religious practices from the tejanos who were primarily Catholic, the alignment with the Confederacy was also an alignment with the continuation and expansion of the slavery institution. Furthermore, Texas had multiple reasons for its decision, including wanting to protect itself from Mexico, the aspiration to expand and allow the expansion of slavery, and the struggle to maintain a balance between free and slave states within the United States Congress. Announcing annexation to the United States was also viewed as a way to secure and expand those interests. Thus, without the reliance on slavery, there would be less of a conflict of interest between Texas's social-economic structure and the Union's movement towards abolitionism, possibly encouraging Texas to remain in the Union rather than seceding with the Confederacy during the Civil War.