Manifest Destiny is the belief created by John O'Sullivan in 1845. This means the United States was meant to expand from coast to coast. There were many factors and events that supported this belief and made it happen. These include the Louisiana purchase on April 30th, 1803. The Louisiana purchase helped the united states double its size by purchasing current day Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and part of Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
Between 1830 and 1860, Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion did more to divide America than it did to unite. While it was not the main for the divide of America that was shown in the South’s secession from the United States, it brought up many issues that ultimately led to the Civil War. These issues are shown in the annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War that resulted from that, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Until 1836, the area of Texas was controlled by the Republic of Mexico and was a distant and irrelevant piece of land in most American’s minds. A few Americans had emigrated there from the South at the invitation of the Mexican government, but not many.
Many Americans thought occupying foreign countries, like the Philippines after the Spanish American War, was a bad idea because it contradicts the American values of equality found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. (Doc D) However, a majority of America sided with people like Senator Albert J. Beveridge who believed people were chosen by God to expand into China and the Philippines to open more Asian markets. (Doc E) This was a continuation of past expansionism because acquiring land for money Manifest Destiny have been motives for expansionism for
The United States expanding across the world was caused by many things. During the time from 1865-1910, one of U.S.’s goals was to get rid of European presence in the Americas, and cast an American presence all over the world. The reason for America to grasp control like they want to, is so they can benefit themselves in numerous ways. The objective of this goal was drawn up by the U.S. government, not exactly the people. The main reason for American expansion during the time of 1865-1910 was to gain more global power, strengthen economically, and the people felt a religous movement to expand.
Manifest Destiny is a unique, yet mysterious fundamental series of events in American history. No other country’s history contains such an eventful history as the United States. Amy Greenberg’s book, Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion, provides documented evidence that settlers believed they were destined for expansion throughout the continent. In other words, many religious settlers believed that it was a call from God for the United States to expand west. On the other hand, people believed that Manifest Destiny vindicated the war against Mexico.
Throughout history there have been many wars, most of which, in some way or another, have had to do with expansion and the gain of land or territory. During the era of Manifest Destiny there were many reasons for expansion such as; better agricultural resources and other events that erupted exploitation and manipulation of the Indians and indigenous people. These show how the Manifest Destiny era expansions were similar to many other expansions before and after this era, however, the biggest difference is how, before, they would purchase land or legally obtain it, when after, the United States would go to war over land rather than legally buy it. Before Manifest Destiny, during colonial days, Britain established the Proclamation of 1763,
Additionally, during this time period, Americans believed strongly in the idea of manifest destiny. Manifest destiny was the ideology that America had a “divine obligation to stretch the boundaries of their noble republic to the Pacific Ocean” (“Manifest Destiny”). Americans believed it was their duty to civilize the savage natives. As the US expanded westward,
American imperialism many believe began in late 1700’s with the proclamation line across the Appalachian Mountains. Others believe that it began in 1803 with the Louisiana purchase. Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis was that the frontier which is the constant expansion to the west is what defined American democracy. Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States not only could, but was destined to, stretch from coast to coast. Turners thesis along with manifest destiny are proofs of American imperialism going back to the founding of America.
From the moment settlers came to America and took over inhabited land, they used imperialism to achieve what they wanted. However this would be far from the last time America used imperialistic qualities to attain their goals. This event merely sparked the United States’ path of expansion and world domination in the 19th and 20th century. American imperialism became a significant part of the nation, and led the United States to expand its territory, destroy traditional cultures, and grow its economic and political power worldwide. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several factors played a role in the continuous and overpowering imperialism by the United States.
Population boomed because of immigrant going for the open land and americans reproducing like crazy after the war. During the western expansion Americans justified the things they did as something that god would want, like going westward. Some americans did stuff like kick natives off their land and fooled them into selling their land cheaper than it actually was. Manifest destiny went in the favor of white people and against natives and african americans. Manifest destiny helped americans have a reason to go west which resulted in more people getting land which caused war.
Imperialism drove the world, from the Roman Empire, to America in the early 1900’s. The US imperialized nations to give them peace, gain their natural resources, and protect them. But not all things imperialism are good. When the US imperialized some nations, it limited their ability to govern and protect themselves. But the US has more experience doing so in a modern world, and would ultimately benefit them.
The notion of American exceptionalism swept through the nation, and the concept of moving West was very important in the 1840’s and 50’s. Americans believed that Indians lacked civilization and they wanted to obtain their land in order to expand the United States. They believed that it was their destiny to seize land from native people and admit it into the U.S. as their own. Manifest Destiny was a mentality that American people had in which they believed it was their destiny to proceed West and obtain land through the notion of American exceptionalism, stripping the land from the native people and forcing the creation of Indian reservations. With Texas consisting of fertile soil that was ideal for the growing of cotton, Americans viewed this as a very profitable portion
Hundreds of years ago many people of different ethnicities immigrated to the west in hopes of finding a better life. The journey brung its consequences and every choice made affects the chances of survival. Multiple issues also played a role in the development of western territory. The desire to expand towards the west was called Manifest Destiny - the dream to have the country expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The Louisiana purchase began the period of westward expansion.
Manifest Destiny was the term used by John O’Sullivan to describe America’s desire to expand West due to reasons including both the vast amount of unclaimed land and the opportunities Americans wanted to explore. During this time, Americans believed that it was their God-given right to expand West, and therefore they were entitled to push away any groups that were in their way. Due to the mindset that the Americans could do as they pleased with the groups of people who got in their way, Manifest Destiny affected many groups of people, including the American Indians and Slaves, and continued to build up the preexisting tension between the North and South. One of the groups of people affected greatly by Manifest Destiny were the Native Americans. Manifest Destiny affected the American Indians by spreading foreign diseases to them as they moved Westward, through the Native American territory.
“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion.
