Which issue was among the problems of the Republic of Texas?

• A. Slavery
• B. Oil production
• C. Population growth
• D. Rail expansion

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how the institution of slavery shaped Texas during its time as an independent republic and its push toward joining the United States. In the 1836–1845 period, Texas faced many challenges like debt, defense, and governance, but the issue that stood out and affected its future was slavery. Texans debated whether slavery would be allowed and how enslaved people would be treated, and these questions tied directly into debates about annexation to the United States. The United States was divided between free and slave states, so Texas’s choice to permit slavery helped determine how quickly and under what terms it could become part of the United States, influencing politics, economy, and society for years to come.

Oil production and rail expansion came later in Texas history, and while population growth mattered, it was not as defining a problem for the Republic as the question of how slavery would be handled and how it would affect annexation.