Why did clay think annexation would lead to war?

Answer 1

Clay believed that annexing Texas would lead to war primarily due to the contentious issue of slavery. The addition of Texas as a slave state would upset the delicate balance between free and slave states, heightening tensions between the North and South. Moreover, the annexation could provoke Mexico, which still considered Texas a part of its territory, potentially leading to military conflict. Clay's concerns reflected the broader anxieties of the era regarding expansion and its implications for sectional strife.