A big issue in the 1830s and 1840s was the concept of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the American idea that westward expansion was part of God’s plan and that they should eventually conquer all of the Americas. Both the Jacksonian Democrats and Whigs supported this…
The manifest destiny was a belief that the U.S.’s destiny was to expand to the west; toward the Pacific Ocean and into the Mexican territory. Slavery became an essential issue between the north and the south civilians. The southern states support the expansion of slavery to the west because the slave owners asserted that slavery was essential to progress of civilization (Document 3). In addition, the south claimed, “slavery freed the upper class from the need to do manual labor, to worry about economic day-to-day realities, …gave them the time…to devote themselves to the arts and literature and mechanical advantages…” (Document 3) and expanding slavery toward west strengthened the “Slave Power” in front of the free states (Document 4).…
Manifest Destiny is defined as the belief that God wants America to expand, which is exactly what happened (Kinsey Notes). The widespread assumption that pioneers had the divine right from God to expand from the east to west coast of the United States was motivation to explore new terrain and territories. The concept of Manifest Destiny had aided the westward expansion (Doc. 3), thus resulting in the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The government and those who held a higher power had a large say on the idea of Native Americans abiding in the United States. Because of Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion, our country received the shape and size it is today.…
During the 19th century, America was still expanding and growing stronger every year. People of the states used manifest destiny to justify their expansion and used it to acquire all land, from coast to coast. Manifest density is the believe or ideal that America was destined to expand to all the land between the two coasts. This drove the American people to fight for land and to take it from other countries. The Mexican-American War started with the American President, James K. Polk using manifest destiny to obtain a declaration of war from the Congress to go at war with Mexico.…
Manifest Destiny is a 19th Century belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American Continents was both justified and inevitable. Several people in the 1800s and 1850s believed in Manifest Destiny. During Westward Expansion vast amounts of land was open the further west the Americans traveled no one knew where it ended. Americans had fought hard for America and were not going to give up on their country. Expanding west was no doubt America's fate.…
American expansion westward increased dramatically in the 1940s. During this decade, The United States of America acquired and settled into modern day Texas, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Michigan, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Ohio. American western expansion in the 1940s was justified through the idea of Manifest Destiny. Americans used the slogan “Manifest Destiny” to justify their expansion into western land. Manifest Destiny is the idea that America had a God-given right to expand across the continent.…
The Manifest Destiny can be described as a U.S expansion that America had to expand their territory west. After independence had been conquered in the Revolution and then again in the War of 1812, a strong sense of nationalism was spread across the nation and demanded more land and opportunity. This westward expansion was also sparked by the Second Great Awakening where many settlers claimed that God called personally for the growth of the nation (UShist)These same settlers didn’t see fit of Natives in this vision and even labeled them as heathens. As a result of this derogatory label on the Natives and the belief that America had to continue to expand, many of the Native Americans were forced from their land. The United States justified this…
Manifest Destiny was the creature that grew out of those ideas and as those ideas grew into an ideology, so did the racial justifications for exploring and conquering new land. For example, many Americans believed that white Europeans were the superior race to their neighbors: the Mexicans, Native Americans, and African Americans. The thought that these races are “unfit” to be a part of American society spread like wildfire throughout the states and helped give those people, mostly from the South, the justification that white supremacy in the United States was acceptable. This harmful stereotype that people of color were “less than” white Americans not only led to the integration of slavery in America but also contributed to the genocide of Native Americans through westward expansion. Therefore, manifest destiny was the stepping stone racist Americans needed to spread their ideas throughout the…
Justified Americans As the army knows, war is not always easy. The Americans went to war with Mexico to fight over Texas in 1846. At the time, James K. Polk was in office as president. He was a strong supporter of the Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny was believed as God’s plan to extend American territory.…
A man by the name John L. O’Sullivan, spoke of the term manifest destiny to describe American expansion in the early 1840’s. O’Sullivan described how the nation’s expansion was something that could not be stopped and criticized those that went against it process. Horsman writes that even though O’Sullivan…
The people of the United States believed it was their god given right to expand from the Atlantic Ocean, east to the Pacific Ocean, North to Canadian border, and South to Mexico. This idea of Manifest Destiny fueled the expansion into the West. Big indicators of Manifest Destiny were the use of the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican – American War. Despite Manifest Destiny bringing about an increase in sectionalism and conflict, it also allowed for the expansion of territory and fueled movement into the west. With people moving west into the newly claimed territory, there was controversy whether the territories would become free or slave states.…
Manifest Destiny is the ideology that the United States had the right to expand west by permission by God. This concept was the justification for westward expansion and was the cause of multiple conflicts between indigenous people and other countries. Most notable of these conflicts was the Mexican-American war. American settlers in Texas did not feel they had to abide by Mexican laws and ideas because God said they did not have to because the rules given to them are not from the United States, and thus not from God. The conflict between the Americans and Mexicans led to war.…
O’Sullivan defines Manifest Destiny in order to support America’s decision to annex Texas, which was originally Mexican territory. O’Sullivan coined the term Manifest Destiny, the idea that Americans were destined by God to occupy and govern North America, to justify America’s annexation of Texas (O’Sullivan). After Texas was admitted to the Union, changes were made to her already republican government to mold her into America. In addition, O’Sullivan proceeds to address slavery and its role in annexation. He indicates that “annexation was a question with which slavery had nothing to do” (O’Sullivan).…
The concept of Manifest Destiny is prevalent in various eras of American history. Manifest Destiny can be dated all the way back to the early 1500’s when Columbus found America. After this, the concept can be applied in early 1800’s, throughout the American Revolution, and then again in the 19th century, where the term was first coined by John L O 'Sullivan. The concept of Manifest Destiny has helped to carve America.…
The territory expansion during the Westward expansion made it possible for the U.S. to acquire more land and in fact, its territory expanded almost 60%. With the United States increasing in land, it open doors to new discoveries, while also giving the American people a chance to experience freedom. However, there wasn’t a lot of Americans thrilled about the idea of going into Native Americans and Mexican territory and taking over their land. It took people like John O’Sullivan in 1839 to speak on the topic so people can have faith about what can come. In 1839, John O’Sullivan became an advocate for the idea of Manifest Destiny, which simply mean that the expansions of the westward area of the country was both justified and predictable.…