DBQ #5: Manifest Destiny When George Washington left office, he described American government as he wanted it to be. One of the four criteria he mentioned was his condemnation of partisan politics. However, few, if any, politicians headed this advice. Almost exclusively, bipartisan politics became a fact of American government; this placed yet another obstacle in the path of legislation that would allow the United States to progress socially, economically, and politically. An almost perfect example of the complexities caused by partisan politics is the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Instead of debating the morality or economic repercussions of admitting Missouri to the Union as a state in which slavery was allowed, the Congressmen insisted on making the issue more complicated than strictly necessary in …show more content…
They almost unilaterally believed that white anglo-saxon protestants were superior to those of other races, origins, and religions. During the 1830s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, they would come to believe that it was their destiny (in the words of John O’Sullivan, their “Manifest Destiny”) to settle the entire continent, although for some this belief was tempered with a brief contemplation of ethics. These two assumptions provided the social fuel for many significant political policies during this time period, including many that caused major political strife. Even though people on both sides of an issue often held the same core beliefs, they approached it in different ways, resulting in political controversy. However, it is important to remember that there were people who did not hold these beliefs and who were extraordinarily vocal about their dissent, although there were many reasons for dissention, most of which were not at all selfless in motivation. The annexation of Texas was a hot button issue that garnered national attention and generated much Congressional strife. (Document