Manifest Destiny is a term used to describe the reason behind the US expansion into the West. What are the social, political and economical effects of this idea on the people living in the United States colonies and the West?
Manifest Destiny is a term coined by John L. Sullivan in 1845 when talking about the annexation of Texas. He believed, along with other expansionists, that it’s inevitable that the US population would spread across North America because the land is given by Providence to the United States and that it’s natural that the land should be part of the country [Doc 1]. The idea of westward expansion and Manifest Destiny had positive and negative effects on the politics, society and the economics of the United States and
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John Burnett witnessed the helpless Cherokees pulled from their homes and driven at bayonet point. They were herded into wagons and headed westward. Most of the Cherokee people did not have sufficient cover to protect against the harsh climate. By the time the westward journey ended, four thousand Cherokees had died all because the whites wanted their land. The Cherokee sent an envoy to Jackson to which Jackson decreed that all of their land must be given to the white people [Doc 3]. In addition to the social and political changes that impacted the Indians, there were changes aimed at the economy which also negatively affected the Indians. One act that negatively affected the Indians was the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. This act was created to help the construction of a railroad and telegraph lines from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Permission was given to the company creating the railroad that they can take away any land touching that of which the railroad is to be built on within 200 feet in width. Although the railroad was a great impact of Manifest Destiny because it allowed for quicker transportation of goods and people to and from the west, it legally allowed for Indian land titles to be extinguished [Doc 7]. However, there were many positive economic aspects for American citizens who were moving westward. The Homestead Act of 1862 was an incentive for people to move
The Annexation of Texas is an example of how manifest destiny played a decisive role in the United States politics and policies in the 1840’s. The Annexation of Texas is where Texas won its independence against Mexico that results from Texas becoming admitted to the United States. This shows how they wanted the United States to become a global power by American expansion. It was President’s Polk’s idea to expand their territory. This relates to the slogan President Polk made “Fifty-four forty or fight!” this represents the victory of claiming the Oregon territory.
By the 1830s, The United States had been booming. The economy had been growing and there was plenty of land out West from the Louisiana Purchase; however, there was a large population centered around the Eastern Coast. While there was plenty of land to the west, it was not being used and in the 1830s, Americans began moving west in the idea of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny gave people the idea that they had the God-given right to move west and if the Indians need to be killed along the way, so be it. Many Americans supported this God-given right to expansion and many saw it as a way to equalize the number of slave versus non-slave states in the country.
Manifest Destiny was more than just a phrase, and the ideology behind it helped justify the pivotal actions by the citizens of the United States in the development of America. Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was the mission of the Americans to expand and civilize in new parts from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific. Manifest Destiny was introduced in 1845 in a news article written by John O’Sullivan about the annexation of Texas. To the Americans, Manifest Destiny brought over a new chapter to the United States, and was used to justify many of the annexations and wars the country would later undergo. Places such as Texas, New Mexico, Oregon Country and California were all acquired partially due to the influence of the ideology. The justification for
Manifest Destiny in America in the 1800s outcomes have many political, economic, and social factors.
The Manifest Destiny is an important part of history in the United States. In order for one to understand the Manifest Destiny, the requirement of knowledge of the etymology of the word and the word’s significance to Americans. The Manifest Destiny happened in the nineteenth century, where during this time Americans were determined to move westward. The Americans desired to witness the expansion of the United States, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. When the Americans detected open land in the west, deep within the Americans felt the land signified opportunity and wealth.
The Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined to expand from coast to coast. It was the concept that which heavily influenced American policy in the 1800s. Americans supported the manifest destiny because the Southerners wanted more land and Northerners believed expansion would relieve the population. The idea was the driving force behind the rapid expansion of America into the West from the East and heavily promoted newspapers and posters.
In conclusion, Manifest Destiny changed the U.S. and everyone surrounding economically, socially, and geographically. America was changed economically by making money in different ways, socially by wanting different laws and governments than the surrounding peoples, and finally, geographically because they needed more land to profit from. This was a real turning point for the U.S., the indians were moved from their land, we gained Texas, which expanded our country and opened new land opportunities, and we gained more technology. Where would we be if this all wouldn’t have
To begin with, a major movement that wrought great change in the early United States was “manifest destiny.” The idea of manifest destiny is that the U.S. has a right and a duty to extend its democratic system of governance across the North American Continent. The movement of Manifest Destiny slowly increased in the 19th century as the population continued to grow. It led to Westward Expansion and help the United States to gain more territory due to its citizens needing it. The first of the expeditions across the continent was done by Lewis and Clark in 1803. When they got back, their reports got out about the beautiful and fertile land that existed in the West. After the population more than tripled in 40 years, the idea of “manifest destiny” became very popular over the course Manifest destiny used newspapers and flyers to spread the idea that the West was their destiny and their future. This was very effective in getting people to migrate over to the west. It appealed mostly to those who had failed at farming in the East
Throughout the American history, we have seen “Manifest Destiny” at work, and how it has helped grow our nation. The idea of Manifest Destiny helped in creating revolutions that would help them find freedom in the U.S., but it also had some negative effects. Most believe that “Manifest Destiny” began in the 1840’s, when John L.O’Sullivan coined the term “Manifest Destiny” in 1845, but if we look closer we can see that even all the way back to the first settlers we can see that“Manifest Destiny” was already at work as in, the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The term is defined and recognized as, the Americans belief that it was their destiny given to them by God, to expand into the Western territories “ The whole continent was to be theirs.”1 We
Manifest Destiny helped shape American society during the 1830s and 1840s; It was a belief that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents were both justified and inevitable by God. It originated in the 1840s from John O'Sullivan claiming it was our Manifest destiny to stretch from coast to coast. Some things that drove Manifest Destiny into the United States was nationalism, population increase, rapid economic development, technological advances, and reform ideals.
Manifest Destiny was a mindset that played a crucial role in the expansion of the United States, and if it had not been thought of, America would not be the way we know it today in regards to how big it is. In this essay, I will discuss how it helped shape America, how it began, how it would affect events that happened later on in American history as a result, and how it led to making America what it is today.
Manifest Destiny was basically the belief Americans had to extend its systems of democracy, federalism, and personal freedom, as well as to accommodate its rapidly growing population by ultimately taking possession of the entire North American continent. My interpretation remains diplomatic. Since Manifest Destiny was always a general notion than a specific policy. It had helped the Native Americans to expand their land and the American settlers had witnessed enough growth which would have not been possible in their own lands. Since the stint of post-Manifest Destiny had experienced massive growth in life styles of Native Americans as well as American Settlers. As far as morality is concerned it was gained and lost equally. Moreover an equal amount of American Citizens disliked the concept of Manifest Destiny and territorial growth by implying slavery like the Whig Party.
Imagine one day you and your family are crossing the seas. You have been on a ship for months, and are very hungry and mal nourished. You and many others are searching for this new established place called the United states. This place has promises or great fortune and a booming industry. One major issue is there are not only Americans on the content. According to your beliefs and of those around you, you own this content. God his self says that you have to own the whole cotenant from east to west whatever lies on this cotenant it is your, correct? This idea is the concept of Manifest destiny . Many of the time that deals with the settling in the western frontier. This land was taken by Indians or actually “Native Americans “. These tribes
The possibility of westbound extension and Manifest Destiny had positive and negative impacts on the governmental issues, society and the financial aspects of the United States and the Native Americans living there at the time. Strategies that were made and Presidents that were chosen supported the general population of the United States and the Native Americans had no real option except to experience the ill effects of the changing and the extending development. There were numerous political impacts of Manifest Destiny that molded the entire development westbound.
The Manifest Destiny, an ideology coined by John L. O’Sullivan, described the attitude of American’s in the 19th century in regards to the expansion of the United States. There are disagreements on whether this expansion was a benevolent movement or an act of early imperialism. Some think because the 19th century Americans saw the expansion as a task given by God that was based on good intentions and it was justifiable given the ways it benefitted the country while others argue that the measures they took to achieve this expansion was at the expense of others. Although the Manifest Destiny was beneficial to America in the long run, the Manifest Destiny is more similar to early imperialism pursued at the expense of others because of the Indian Removal Act, the Mexican-American War, and the great influence on it had on the Civil War.