But he continued to occupy his seat in Congress until February 23, 1848.
* See "Texas and the Mexican War" (in "The Chronicles of America").
The debate inaugurated in Congress by Adams and others over the extension of slave territory rapidly spread to the country at large, and interest in the question became general.

Abolitionists were thereby greatly stimulated to put into practice their professed duty of seeking to accomplish their ends by political action.

Their first effort was to secure recognition in the regular parties.

The Democrats answered in their platform of 1840 by a plank specifically denouncing the abolitionists, and the Whigs proved either noncommittal or unfriendly.
The result was that abolitionists organized a party of their own in 1840 and nominated James G.Birney for the Presidency.

Both of the older parties during this campaign evaded the issue of the annexation of Texas.