Summary Of Manifest Destiny And American Territorial Expansion

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. Whatever its true purpose, Manifest Destiny has indeed stretched the U.S territory and seized half of Mexico’s land. On the contrary, Manifest Destiny resulted in a conflict with

Furthermore, the New World was rapidly overpopulating, forcing the Europeans to migrate west of the region. In the book, Amy Greenberg states that the ideology of western expansion began when Puritans, upon arriving in the New World, “They envisioned their experimental settlement as a ‘citty upon a hill,’ a beacon of light for less blessed people elsewhere that would prove superiority not only of Protestantism over Catholicism but also of strict Puritans over less rigorous practices of Protestanism.”1 In the 18th century, many settlers believed in a God established community. In addition, settlers believed that the New World was the place to establish a Christian nation and expand throughout the vast region. In the colonial era, through the Revolutionary War, the foundation of America was oratorically clarified as an act of prudence—that is, God led people, specifically the white Europeans, to America to find a new and superior or incomparable societal order that would be the light unto all realms.2 In fact, many settlers also believed in creating a new nation filled with history and stories. Along the same lines, Americans imagined a community created through selectively and elaborated events, myths of origin, courageous stories, and asserted values.3

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