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Manifest Destiny Dbq Essay

871 Words4 Pages

Did you know that Manifest Destiny fueled sectarian tensions over slavery, leading to the Civil War? Manifest Destiny occurred during 1812-1867. The concept of Manifest Destiny held that white Americans were naturally destined to colonize the entire region of North America. President James K. Polk of the United States was a staunch advocate of Manifest Destiny. He felt that expanding America's borders all the way to the Pacific Ocean was God's plan. Mexico stood in the way of America. The Mexican government attempted to increase the population of their northern lands by welcoming settlers from the United States. This turned out to be a bad idea, as the American settlers were mostly Protestant, pro-slavery, and largely ignored Mexican authority. …show more content…

According to Document A, the US is only taking land from Mexico since the US is more powerful than Mexico. "It is time for opposition to the Annexation of Texas to cease…. Texas is now ours.… Let their reception into the “family” be frank, kindly, and cheerful ...." Document A also shows that the US is infatuated with land. "[O]ther nations have undertaken … hostile interference against us, … hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence [God] for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions."According to Document C, Mexico had never approved Texas' annexation in the , so they were merely protecting what they believed to be their land. "The troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor arrived at the Río Grande, across from the city of Matamoros, thus occupying the territory in dispute and increasing the possibilities of a confrontation…. In the eyes of the [Mexican] government, the mobilization of the US army was an outright attack on Mexico. '' The evidence from Document A showed how America's conflict with Mexico was an example of imperialism in which the stronger simply take from the weak. This imperialism was motivated by bigotry and a desire for territory. America wanted to take the land from Mexico just because they knew they were stronger than Mexico. Document C showed how America ignored Mexico's response; Mexico never stated if they approved or disapproved of the annexation of Texas, but America just went off of their own beliefs and declared war. America then goes on to blame Mexico for fighting for their [Mexico's] rightfully owned

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