Why was US Secretary of State John Calhoun in favor of annexing Texas?

Answer 1

Secretary of State John C. Calhoun believed that by annexing Texas that it would end the Mexican and British from taking control of Texas. Also, he wanted to annex Texas and make it a slave state. For him it was a measure to save slavery from destruction. And, Cotton required more plantations as it wore out soil rapidly, Texas was huge and could accommodate vast cotton fields. There were also internal geo-political reasons for expanding the "South". Despite the end to the importation of slaves, the slave population was growing quickly. He believed it would soon overrun the white population. Too many slaves on too little land he saw as a potential problem. Spreading the slave population in to the huge area of Texas would nullify the problem.

Answer 2

Secretary of State, John C. Calhoun favored the annexation of Texas. Not only would that extend slavery, but serve another vital function. He was from South Carolina and was always in favor of slavery. However, the annexation of Texas would do more than to simply extend slavery, he saw it as a way to avoid conflicts between slave owners and slaves. He believed that in the Deep South, for example, that the slave population was far too concentrated. Texas was a huge territory and by relocating slaves there from the Deep South, he sought to avoid a slave revolt.