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.
Manifest Destiny is the belief of the nineteenth century that America was destined by God to expand westward. The author of Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis believed that God established Anglo-Saxons as the superior people whose purpose was to spread Christianity. (Doc B) This idea of spreading a superior culture or religion has been a motive for expansion for decades before this. Despite this support for expansionism, there were those who were against it.
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.
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.
American foreign policy during the years 1845-1900 was Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny describes what most of the Americans believed in the 19th Century that, it was America’s responsibility to expand westward, and occupy the whole continental nation including Mexico and Canada. This foreign policy turned into American Imperialism, and how America acquired Hawaii, Alaska and led to Cuban Revolution 1953-1959. Manifest Destiny was first used by John O’Sullivan; he supported expansionist agenda of President James K. Polk from 1845-1849. President James K. Polk wanted to expand America westward, “He wanted to officially claim the southern part of Oregon Territory; annex the whole of the American Southwest from Mexico; and annex Texas” (Jones 1).
a belief that was widely held that the destiny of American settlers was to expand and move across the continent to spread their traditions and their institutions, while at the same time enlightening more primitive nations” ("Manifest Destiny. " History Net, www.historynet.com/manifest-destiny. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.”) Basically, this means that the Americans thought that it was their god given right to be able to use the west as a launchpad to gain gold and glory, and spread religion in return.
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
During the mid 1800s America was in its prime, during the American Industrial Revolution. During the revolution, immigrants from many foreign nations began piling on ships and setting sail for America to start a new life. America was the place to be at the time and it was the land of opportunity for many. And after Lewis and Clark’s exploration came to a close, people heard of all of the prominent land and opportunity. And as word got out, people wanted in on this newly seen westward territory.
During the late 19th century, many sensed that America was destined to expand from coast to coast. This belief that many Americans had was termed Manifest Destiny. Religion had a significant factor to the faith of expansion, as many stressed that America had divine providence. God was said had the power and was the reasoning behind the growth of the country. Others on the other hand, emphasized that America’s history made it inevitable to spread its borders throughout North America.
The idea of Manifest Destiny professed the belief that America was destined by god to expand across the continent, to bless others as well as our selves with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These core values have seemed to carried over to the late nineteenth- century and early twentieth
Since its beginnings America has been a land of great progress. After Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon in 1803, we have expanded our land and ideals. We undertook a noble mission to stretch our nation from coast to coast, labeling it Manifest Destiny. Men, women, and children from East coast took hold of their destiny and traveled westward on famous trails such as the Oregon trail. The journey west was not without its hardships.
During the 1800s in the United States, the idea that the nation must expand its boundaries to the Pacific was very popular. In the 1840s a newspaper editor by the name of John O'Sullivan gave this nation's idea the title of Manifest Destiny. When naming this idea in his newspaper, O'Sullivan, as many others, believed that the country was destined to take over the whole continent. As the idea of Manifest Destiny overspread the nation, white settlers began moving west, Pacific bound in search for wealth. During 1819 John Quincy Adams also was a key role in this age of Manifest Destiny, as he promoted the Adams- Onis treaty, which was a treaty between the Spanish and America, limiting Spanish settlement and made Spain give up their claim
Throughout the 19th century European settlers in the United States were enthralled by Westward expansion, furthermore, defining the Western region of the country as the ‘frontier’ to represent the challenges and opportunities expanding West would institute. Westward expansion was significantly driven by the concept of Manifest destiny which describes the idea that Europeans have the divine power and inherent right to expand across North America (Burton, January 17th, 2023). Westward expansion was legally encouraged and endorsed by the federal government through the Homestead act of 1862. The Homestead Act encouraged Westward migration/ settlement by offering land grants to settlers from the East willing to migrate to the West to develop the land.
The midwest and west had fertile soil and an environment that agriculture could thrive in. A thriving agricultural system resulted in thriving poultry and livestock, another benefit for the Americans. Along with ecological environments, Manifest Destiny also allowed the United States to expand its trade market. The expansion of America’s borders allowed new regions to be included in the country’s economy. Additionally, the growth of the country piqued the interest of businesses and investors to invest in the nation’s economy and market.
From the late 18th early 19th centuries, Westward expansion dominated the United States of America. Westward expansion was the push towards going to the west coast whether it was for new job opportunities, a better home life, or safer living options or pull factors. This changed American ways and views of life as well as altered other cultures' ways of life. Westward expansion and industrialization negatively affected America's political views, social views, cultural views and overall economic development of the United States due to the amounts of discrimination and assimilation that different groups faced, the amounts of capitalism in the work industry, and the idealization and spread of Manifest Destiny.
