Van Buren elected in 1836. Inaugurated, March, 1837. Panic of 1837. _______________________________|__________________ | | Causes of the panic. Great opposition to the Democratic party. Suspension of the banks. Union of this opposition in 1840 with the Whigs. New national debt. ___________________|______________________________ Suspension of distribution of | | | the revenue. Democrats. Whigs. Antislavery Establishment of Independent Issue their first Issue no platform. party. Treasury. party platform. Nominate Harrison. Origin of. Nominate Van Buren. Elect him. Nominates J. Are defeated. G. Birney. CHAPTER XXIV EXPANSION OF THE SLAVE AREA %356. Texas secures Independence.%--The fact that Tyler now belonged to no party enabled him to commit an act which, had he belonged to either, he would not have ventured to commit at that time,--to make a treaty of annexation with Texas. [Illustration: %TERRITORY CLAIMED BY TEXAS% WHEN ADMITTED INTO THE UNION %1845%] In 1821 Mexico, which for years past had been fighting for independence, was set free by Spain, and soon established herself as a republic under the name of the United States of Mexico. The old Spanish provinces were the states, and one of these provinces was Texas. As a country Texas had been very attractive to Americans, and the eastern part would have been settled early in the century if it had been definitely known who owned it. Now that Mexico owned it, a citizen of the United States, Moses Austin, asked for a large grant of land and for leave to bring in settlers. A grant was made on condition that he should bring in 300 families within a given time. Moses Austin died; but his son Stephen went on with the scheme and succeeded so well that others followed his example till seventeen such grants had been perfected.