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Manifest destiny and its consequences
Manifest destiny and its consequences
Manifest destiny and its consequences
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Toward the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the United States was becoming an increasingly powerful nation and world power. The country was competing with other nations also expanding. Their motives for expanding were to gain land and resources. While there was a slight departure from past expansionism, the United States mostly continued as it had been in the previous years. In order to accomplish expansionism, the United States needed to acquire foreign territories to increase their global presence.
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.
This document is a map from an atlas which shows the various ways the U.S expanded. This events include the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 accomplished by Thomas Jefferson, the Texas annexation, 1845, the Oregon Country, 1846 and the Mexican cession,1848 all accomplished by James K.Polk. The claim that the actions of the early presidents had a positive outcome on the U.S and its people can be supported by the action of one of the most influential presidents in U.S history, Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln saved the Union during the American Civil War. His leadership during the war was one of no compromise but at the same time understanding that he would eventually have to unite the states once the North won the war.
He was a highly devoted man who entered the presidency with an unambiguous plan, setting out five main goals which he successfully executed in only one term in office (Bockert par. 13). Although the incessant pressure of American westward expansion had temporarily accumulated itself behind the Great Plains, it was now about to erupt with a deluge unlike any previous occurrence (Woodworth 59; "Expansion to the Mississippi"). A new start beyond the Western horizon would prove to be crucial to Americans so Polk became determined to use the concept of Manifest Destiny. This concept proved to prompt the American westward movement and lead to a flow of immigrants, and as portrayed in the figure above, to have a massive effect on the population of
It was the time when Manifest Destiny concept, an idea in special role and destiny of the United States, was highly popular. The concept that consequently justified the expansionism and nationalism. Therefore, Polk’s expansionist impulse, though strong and quite successful, was a product of dominant thoughts that were circulating among Americans.
During the transition from George Washington, to Thomas Jefferson’s election, the U.S began to expand its foreign policy. The U.S Foreign Policy began to transition during after the election of Thomas Jefferson; though Britain was still bitter, and refused to create a commercial treaty or even merely ratify it’s Navigation Laws. While Britain continued to refuse to trade, Spain was just as inhospitable. Due to Thomas Jefferson’s election, the Louisiana Purchase was made (1803), the Embargo Act of 1807 was established, as well as the Non- Intercourse Act, Amid to George Washington’s farewell address, he warned the country regarding foreign relations, alliances, and foreign nations.
The concept of starting the Manifest Destiny was to expand their land and gain territory for their people. This proposal came from John Quincy Adams during the 1819 who wanted to lengthened the land to the pacific ocean to the Westward expansion but, it wasn’t until John O' Sullivan a newspaper editor published it during the 1940's had proclaimed it officially, giving it the name of the "Manifest Destiny." In the beginning two people went to explore the recently new land from the Louisiana Purchase. After two years, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was quite successful, they had found the pacific ocean. It was then later they decided to expand The Manifest Destiny was successful in gaining land but the consequences
The concept of the manifest destiny was to make and have America be just one big continent with overtaking Mexico and Canada but as we can see now it did not happen. The causes and effects of Cherokee Nation being removed was when they had them move many died, from traveling they would die of hunger, thirst, and ambush them why they would be traveling. Another cause and effect was with the removal of the Native Americans they would force them to have to completely leave some people left each other, or got lost with all the chaos on wanting to quickly leave. Basically, America came in and took over Indian Territory George Washington did not discover America because America had already belonged to the Native Americans so, America came in and
Manifest Destiny was a phrase that was made up by journalist John L. O’sullivan back in 1844. The United States wanted to push westward to the frontier such as Texas, California, and Oregon. The reason behind Manifest Destiny was to expand to provide new places to live and jobs. Manifest Destiny is the belief that the Americans could extend themselves from coast to coast. The way Americans conquered the new land were removing the Native Americans from their land.
The Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana purchase was one of the biggest land purchases in history. In 1803, the United States paid around $15 million dollars for around 800,000 square miles of land. This was arguably the greatest achievement of thomas jefferson’s presidency. The louisiana territory was a wild card in the european game of imperialism.
The Market Revolution generated a drastic change in the United States economy and altered gender barriers while at the same time accomplishing this in a provocative manner. This economic boom occurred around the first half of the 19th Century. The economic boom was achieved by inventions such as a transcontinental railroad system which resulted in a better transportation system which improved trade and the cotton gin which sped up the rate of removing seeds from cotton fiber. However like what the great Hugo said, “The brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over we realize this: that the human race has been roughly handled, but that it has advanced”.
The United States exploration of their new territory was justified through the idea of Manifest destiny; the idea that the United States was destined to expand and spread their influence to the west through any means necessary. This way of thinking is what caused America to imperialize and drive the Natives out of the west and into lands that were not their homes or to their deaths. Manifest Destiny caused the American people to charge through the west without abandon and thought, these actions are justified by John Louis O’Sullivan, who coined the phrase “Manifest Destiny,” when he states, “... the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty…” his statement was published and resonated with the American people and the sense of nationalism that they felt toward their country. They felt it was their duty to spread American ideals and culture to those who did not already possess it so that the west would be able to join in The United States idealistic superiority, despite the fact that other people in the west had developed their own cultures and ideas. For instance, many native tribes did not regard their beliefs and spirituality as a religion, but as a part of their being and as a reasoning toward their habits and mannerisms; when
Based on the following three sources, did the concept of Manifest Destiny motivate Americans to try to develop a relationship with land and to control something that cannot truly be possessed? American Progress –John Gast “on Manifest Destiny, 1839” –John O’Sullivan “Reporting to the President, September 23- December 31, 1806” (pages 418-21) –Stephen Ambrose Use evidence from all three sources to support your ideas. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Manifest Destiny is the belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable. This meaning that Americans believed they were destined to hold dominion over both of the American continents
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.
