Annexation — Social Studies definition
Defined in 2 courses:
- Formal incorporation of a territory into a state’s claimed domain. (United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century)
- A state’s incorporation of territory under its claimed authority. (United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century)
Where it is taught
- Westward Expansion, Manifest Destiny & Contested Land — Expansion, Slavery & Reform, U.S. & New York History: Indigenous Nations to Reconstruction, Grade 7
- Overseas Expansion: Trade, Strategy & Sovereignty — Reform, Empire & Democratic Participation, U.S. History: Reconstruction to the Early 21st Century, Grade 8
- Territorial Expansion, Indigenous Sovereignty & Removal — Expansion, Slavery, Civil War & Reconstruction, United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century, Grade 11
- American Expansion Overseas: 1898, Sovereignty & Intervention — Progressive Reform, Empire & World War I, United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century, Grade 11
In use
Distinguish trade, diplomatic influence, military intervention, annexation, and colonial rule.
Overseas Expansion: Trade, Strategy & Sovereignty
The Louisiana Purchase in 1803, annexation of Texas in 1845, and the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848 changed territorial claims through different processes.
Territorial Expansion, Indigenous Sovereignty & Removal
In China, the Open Door proposals sought commercial access amid competing outside powers rather than annexation by the United States.
American Expansion Overseas: 1898, Sovereignty & Intervention
Questions using annexation
Problem 1
Why should Hawaii’s 1893 overthrow and 1898 annexation be treated separately?
Answer and explanation
The overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and U.S. annexation in 1898 are different events with different actors and legal instruments. Native Hawaiian opposition and continuing community life matter to evaluating claims of unanimous consent. A later annexation date does not explain the entire local political history.