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.
From 1820-1860 Manifest Destiny played a major role in American Politics. Manifest Destiny was the expansion of American settlement onto Western land, and the belief that it is God-given land. Manifest Destiny impacted America politically because Americans felt they had a right to all Western land, so this resulted in the creation of the Missouri Compromise of 1820,and the Mexican American War of 1846. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 created a border line between free-soil states, and slave States in Western territories. The Mexican American War of 1846 was a war between the Mexicans, and Americans for Western land.
O’Sullivan, has introduced both the idea and coined the term Manifest Destiny. At the time when the article was written, many people supported the idea of territorial expansion, for they believed that they were destined to manifest under the will of God. According to John L. O’Sullivan, or at least it is understood that he has written the article, believed that the nation should arise above all other nations and create an excellence on divine principles and to establish on earth the noblest temple ever dedicated to worship the “Most High.”8 Six years later, John O’Sullivan has written “Annexation” where he officially coined the term, “Manifest Destiny.” In “Annexation,” the writer urged that all parties should unite, especially since other nations have intruded themselves between the U.S and the appropriate parties, have interfered and hampered over America’s power, and limited the greatness and checking the fulfillment of Manifest Destiny to overspread the continent by Providence for the free development of the
The Manifest Destiny was the 1800s belief that Americans should expand westward. The Manifest Destiny benefited the country and the people of the United States. For example, the United States doubled in size through the Louisiana Purchase (A Growing Nation Notes). All of the different purchases at this time made the US the size that it is now. In result of the United States growing, more people came to the country for a new beginning so it was beneficial to the people in the country.
The phrase “manifest destiny” was in the air, exciting United State citizens. President James Polk declared that it was America’s right to expand to the Pacific Ocean. However, the land west from Texas was Mexican soil. As a result, the United States asked to buy the California territory. When Mexico declined their offer, President James Polk needed an excuse to go to war with Mexico to steal California right from underneath them.
Manifest Destiny: the early American settlers believed in moving, the American settlers believed it was their birthright, their god given right to move to The West. Many wanted to go to The West, to start new lives, to get rich or just to start over. President Polk the President of the United States at the time of the dispute with Mexico. Polk wanted the land that is now Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Conflict between settlers and Native American tribes was frequent and sometimes violent, as differing visions of land ownership and sovereignty often were argued over. Territorial acquisition is another key part of Manifest Destiny. The belief in the right of the United States to continue to expand its borders led to a series of land grabbing, treaties, and seizers that significantly expanded the United States territory. From the Louisiana Purchase to the addition of Texas and the Oregon Territory, the United States steadily gained land and domain, often at the expense of other groups of people such as Mexico and Native American tribes who were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands. The ideology of Manifest Destiny also played a significant role in shaping America's foreign policy during the 19th century.
Was it Destiny to Move West? Manifest Destiny was the belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American Continents was justified and inevitable. Although it was not justified or inevitable. There was violence that did not need to happen. And the expansion of the US did not happen through inevitability it happened through government action.
Manifest Destiny was a very popular theme sweeping the United States in the years following the War of 1812. Although this idea began with the earliest settlers and their belief that God gave them a mission to spread their civilization across the lands of North America, the 1800’s would bring new meaning to this mission the settlers were given. Manifest Destiny focused on the United States expanding its territory to cover all of North America in order to Christianize and civilize the native people. It was a widely held belief that it was the divine right of the American people to claim all the land throughout the North American continent. A belief that would lead to the mistreatment of the native people, multiple wars, but ultimately reach
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,
Manifest Destiny was a phrase used by politicians and leaders in the United States in the 1840s to justify and promote territorial expansion across the North American continent by providing a sense of mission to citizens. It promoted this sense of mission by fomenting a desire to establish a large empire-like nation in which the ideals of democracy, freedom, and progress are ostensibly protected and promoted. It strongly characterized U.S. internal and external policies and has continued to do so to this day. In theory, one aspect of this desire was its principle to bring the ideals of democratic self-government to any peoples capable of it; in practice, however, this often meant excluding Native Americans and those with non-European ancestry.
As few know, the very root cause of all the Pre-Civil War events was Manifest Destiny, a powerful and ruthless belief that had changed the course of history. Manifest Destiny caused the US to go for a greater goal that scarred others, driving all Natives off their land and expand until every other country knew of their power. They went from protecting newly freed countries, to taking all important possessions from the natives before them. The belief of the US to expand all over North America and be seen as a powerful nation has caused their minds to want more and more of what is around them, land.
In 1845 Manifest Destiny was a phrase that John O’Sullivan came up with. This phrase was made to describe the mindset that the people had the God-given right to make the nation grow. The right to expand throughout the land. It was the idea that the American culture had superiority over any other culture. It also birthed the idea that the Native Americans were inferior to the people that were exploring the land.
The Oregon Trail was a huge historic movement in the mid-1800s which stretched over 2000 miles across the American Midwest. In present-day America, the Oregon Trail would go across the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and finally end in Oregon. The trail was constantly showing the American pioneer's problems because of how hard it was to cross and with hundreds of thousands of them trying to get to their destination there were plenty of casualties and hardships. Determined to spread their religion, gain wealth, or find a place to live, many pioneers took these hardships head-on in hopes of making a better life for themselves or spreading what they believed to new people. The Oregon Trail surely helped boom the United State’s growth
