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Westward expansion 1800
Westward expansion 1800
Westward expansion 1800
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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.
In the 1800s, many Americans believed that the mission of the United States was to occupy the entire continent, this idea was declared by John Quincy Adams that expressed that the expansion to the Pacific was as inevitable. The president and the secretaries of states never used the phrase "Manifest Destiny" when they wanted to refer to the expansion of the United States. It was a newspaper editor John O’Sullivan, who put the idea of a national mission, so O’Sullivan declared it was America’s “Manifest Destiny" that was a slogan that he used, and, in the newspaper, he also declares that the United States was destined to extend its territory all the way to the Pacific and, consequently, white settlers began to settle as far west as the
The manifest destiny was the American conviction that Americans had the right to expand U.S. territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Among the Americans who strongly supported this belief was President James K. Polk and as a strong advocate of manifest destiny, he pushed for the annexation of Texas and additional territories from Mexico, and Oregon territory to appease Northerners. The Democratic party, the party from which Polk was from, remained adamant about increasing territory to uphold southern needs. Because of manifest destiny, presidents such as Polk (Texas and parts of Mexico) and Pierce (Cuba) strived to expand territory despite large opposition, and military filibustering that later arose contributed to opposing political
Manifest Destiny is a term used to describe a particular ideology and belief that white European-Americans were inherently superior than that of natives and other ethnic groups and were destined by God to secure claim expand their territories across America from "sea to shining sea. " Under the guise of religion and racist ideologies white European- Americans used extreme measures to wipe the native inhabitants from their land in order to reach this goal. Independence had been won, the war of 1812 had been conquered, and American settlers wanted to create a more homogenous society with more territory and preservation of their religion and racial superiority. In order to achieve to actualize their vision U.S. policy makers justified their reactions
President Polk, first tried to get that land for the U.S by offering Mexican money for the land. The Mexican government said no. President Polk tried to provoke a war with Mexico. He finally got congress to declare war with Mexico in 1836. When he talked about “Shedding American blood on American soil.”
The US’s strong military and desire for more control was a large factor in their pursuit of gaining more territory in the West. In document 7, James K. Polk in his State of the Union Address says that to have and retain more power over rival
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,
“The expansive future is our arena, and for our history. We are entering on its untrodden space, with the truths of god in our minds, beneficent objects in our hearts, and with a clear conscience unsullied by the past.” This is telling the reader that we have a huge desire to go and capture something that no one can stop us from.” Manifest Destiny” is supporting of expansion, discovering new lands and resources. “Manifest Destiny,” “American Progress,” “Reporting to the President, September
Manifest Destiny was the belief Americans had that they were destined to stretch from coast to coast. All throughout the 19th century, this attitude was enforced. To reach the goal of successful expansion, The United States tried to get all land possible. These territories were no easy task to achieve, however. Not only for America, but for the country on the other side of the agreement, it was difficult.
The Manifest Destiny was a great time in history, it had socially impact, gained a lot of ground from the war with Mexico and economically impact too. The Manifest Destiny had a lot of background so some of it was that Manifest Destiny is the belief that Americans had the right,or even the duty, to expand westward across the North American continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. In order to accomplish this destiny, Americans did not flinch at atrocities such as provoking a war with Mexico or slaughtering Indians. This will show how the Manifest Destiny impacted America.
Three areas of westward expansion that are important to talk about are Oregon, Texas, and California. The first area to discuss is the Oregon Territory
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.
Literature has been among the greatest influences upon American patriotism, and how our Nation classifies 'true Americanism'. Yet when one looks at what categorizes literature as 'American,' the definition may seem abstract. Yet there several key points as to why certain literary pieces are regarded as American, whereas others are discounted. This essay will discuss how ‘manifest destiny’ helps one to identify our patriotic literature, how the literature openly exposes both the flaws and strengths of our nation and people, and how American literature connects its people together—even when otherwise it may not be possible. For examples I am using the poems “Theme for English B” and “I, Too” by Langston Hughes, “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg, and “America” by Claude McKay.