"The Raven" by Marquis James is a must read for anyone interested in Texas history. I am looking at my copy right now.
In short, Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston conspired for Texas to win its independence from Mexico and then join the United States. Jackson could not send troops into Texas without spawning a war with Mexico. So Jackson did the next best thing, he asked his friend Sam Houston to go to Texas.
Jackson had enemies that would vote against anything he tried to do. Take note that Texas did not become a state until Jackson was almost dead.
Jackson died June 8, 1845
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Texas_(1845–1860)
On February 26, 1845, six days before Polk took office, the U.S. Congress approved the annexation.
Keep in mind Jackson was a headstrong kind of guy. When the British were invading New Orleans it was Jackson and the militia who headed off the invasion. When Sam Houston visited Jackson on his death bed, Jackson wept knowing Texas was going to join the union.
As for Texas being a lot like Crimea, yea, I can see that.
I can see Putin being a lot like Andrew Jackson, and the civil unrest in Crimea caused by agents Putin sent in.
Putin knows he can not invade and take Crimea. But there is nothing stopping Crimea from leaving the Ukraine.
It is like Putin took a page from Andrew Jacksons playbook.