Manifest Destiny (first developed in 1845) was the idea that during the nineteenth century, America not only could but would expand from coast to coast. The accomplishment of this idea came with the removal of indians in areas like the great plains, as well as many smaller conflicts in between the indians and the Americans. The Americans attempted to make a compromise with the indians so that they would leave peacefully, examples of this would be the offer to pay the indians in the form of supplies and annuities. The idea was a good one until Americans denied a payment in 1862 because John pope regarded the Indians as “maniacs or wild beasts ” and states that they do not deserve treaties or anything of the sort. Another big factor in the expansion of America from coast to coast was the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, not only with the people that it had brought to the west for the work, but the ease that it had provided for those who wanted to travel from the east to the west and did not have the money nor the time. The Railroad had cut down the price to travel from the east to the west by about 90% as well as cutting the time it took to make the journey by weeks.
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.
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.
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
Manifest destiny was the belief that colonist were destined to expand across North America and that it was their god given right. Although Native Americans were indigenous the the land, colonist felt that it was their destiny to redeem and colonize the rest of the land. They felt that Native Americans were not making right use of the land and letting it go to waste. In result, Native Americans were not seen as anything more as an obstacle in the pursuit of Manifest Destiny. During the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Indian groups who were still inhabiting the south east would be moved across the Mississippi to designated Indian territory, which is now known as Oklahoma.
Manifest Destiny was the European’s belief that God had sent them to North America to conquer and spread their ideas across the entirety of the continent. They had seen themselves as a vessel for God to use to spread his message and the democracy that came with them. When the Europeans first landed on North American soil, they immediately announced themselves as the rulers of the land and began to occupy the land. When the white settlers arrived on North American grounds, they immediately disregarded the existence of the first nation people. The first nation people were unfamiliar with the European lifestyle and their way of governing the land.
Manifest Destiny was the cultural belief that America as a whole was destined to move west and expand across America. When talking about the views of manifest destiny, it often takes on two sides of a story. The side that often believed that it was a natural outcome of American economic state,politics, and trends supporting western expansion, or the side that thought it was a clear example of American imperialism driven by land hunger, cultural superiority, and racism. The country at this point in time was described to be “entirely based on the great principle of human equality.” But this was not true.
Intro: The wild west or west Texas, land coveted by the Americans who believe in Manifest destiny, but guarded by natives who wish to keep their homeland. On this frontier is a series of stories worthy of Shakespeare filled with bravery, danger, tragedy, and confusion. These are those stories. Will: Before the Civil war the frontier was practically owned by the white man, and the Native Americans were almost driven out.
Manifest destiny also affected the relationship with Mexico. Several factors led to the Mexican- American War in 1846. The factors were that the U.S citizens were moving into California and Mexico. Since there were many revolutions happening in Mexico throughout this time period the Mexican government was not able to protect the U.S citizens in this region. Another factor was that Mexico was upset that Texas declared independence from them and then the U. S annexed Texas in 1845.
“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.
In the 19th Century, there were strong supporters of the ideology of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was basically the belief of expansion by settlers expanding all over America because god supposedly destined the Americans for expansions by their resources. This resulted for the Americans to find a modern mode of transportation that would make traveling from the east to the west coast easier. This resulted in a mega construction known as the Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad not only helps with transportation but with trading.
The manifest destiny is the American belief that the expansion to the west was beneficial and meant to be. So because of this belief they were very determined to have all the, now what we call the American continents, be their territory. We acquired Orgen by signing the Oregon treaty. The reason for this is so the US wouldn’t have to fight with Britain over the Oregon boundaries .
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.
After the Civil War ended, westward expansion became a focal point in America’s growth as a country. The idea of “Manifest Destiny” became popular, this was the idea that America had a God given right to expand West. There were many people of different ethnicity’s that wanted to move West because they believed that they would have new opportunities, or a new beginning. There was said to be free land that people could use to farm. Unfortunately, not everything was easy and there were people already living out West.
“What does Manifest Destiny mean? How did this philosophy shape America from 1800-1850? Make sure to discuss the Mexican War at some point in your answer.” In 1845 John L. O'Sullivan began the term "manifest destiny" refering to a growing idea that the United States was commanded by God to “expand throughout North America and exercise hegemony over its neighbors”.