The Negative Consequences Of Manifest Destiny

In 1845, John O’Sullivan famously said, “…our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions”(Document A). His idea of Manifest Destiny was that it was America’s God-given right to spread their population, and along with them the ideas of liberty and democracy, across the continent of North America. During the 1840’s, President James K. Polk worked diligently to fulfill these ideals. This resulted in America gaining most of western North America, including the half of the Oregon territory from Britain and Texas and California from Mexico. Although Manifest Destiny had a few benefits, the negative consequences far outweigh these gains. The negative consequences of Manifest Destiny and westward expansion do

One of the consequences of Manifest Destiny was the Mexican-American War. Following the ideology of Manifest Destiny, Texas was annexed into the United States in 1845, creating tensions with the Mexican government. While the annexation of Texas had great benefits for America, from the Mexican point of view it caused many issues legally and threatened national security (Document C). In pursuit of the grand ambitions of Manifest Destiny, President Polk and many Americans forgot to consider the consequences of achieving their ultimate goal of controlling the whole of North America. While before the United States had supported the independent countries, such as Mexico, that had broken free of Spanish rule, during this time period America lost sight of their ideals and made