Division of Texas

The provision for up to four new states to be created out of the territory of the former Republic of Texas is mentioned here from time to time but how likely do you think this is? If it does happen, what would be the effects of this, particularly on the issue of slavery?
 
The provision for up to four new states to be created out of the territory of the former Republic of Texas is mentioned here from time to time but how likely do you think this is? If it does happen, what would be the effects of this, particularly on the issue of slavery?
Some Northern states would have to be split up as well, or some states enter the Union earlier than IOTL, to keep at least a semblance of balance between free and slave states.
 
I don't think all four states would be admitted at once, the western half of Texas would've been to sparsely populated to do so.
The could admit a two eastern states (maybe being divided by the Brazos or Colorado Rivers) on the get go. But you would need two northern states to balance it. However after Texas in OTL the next five states to be admitted (Iowa, Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Oregon) were all free states. So the balancing issue might come around until Kansas comes along (which was still a problem in OTL), unless another west Texas state is created before. Then yes you would need one more northern state. Maybe a "East Dakota" scenario.

Also southerners will have 2 more senate seats. So the more interesting part of this is how it will affect the rising tensions in the next 15 years.
 
ok so we go with Jycee but keep the 1820 Missouri Compromise intact and don't do a 1850 compromise therefore we divide California. Plausible?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Five states, actually, IIRC. In fact, there were many not-very-serious discussions in Austin bars frequesting by politicos back in 2002-2003 (around when Tom DeLay was ramming through his mid-decade redistricting plan) about splitting the state up in order to increase the number of Republican senators in Washington. But if the state were actually split, many of the new states would have clearly ended up electing Democrats, and the overall plan might have actually been disadvantagous to the Republicans.
 
I thought that clause was dropped more or less when Texas simply gave up its Republic-era borders to the present-day ones to relieve the debt it had at the time of annexation.
 
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