Manifest Destiny Essay

Louis. From there they sailed up to the Wood River where they established Camp Dubois for the winter. Lewis and Clark completed their preparation during the winter by buying supplies, over hauling their boats, drilling their men, and completing their roster. A total of twenty-five soldiers and twenty civilian boatmen, guides, and hunters were selected for the expedition. Lewis estimated this journey would last at least two years. Finally on May 14, 1804 the expedition began.

In order to understand manifest destiny we must first find its’ origin. John O’Sullivan first initiated manifest destiny into America in 1845. This New York editor wrote the phrase that captured this mood when he attempted to explain American’s thirst for westward expansion he wrote: the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly

The Manifest Destiny was the attitude prevalent during the 19th century period of American expansion that the United States not only could, but was destined to, stretch from coast to coast. Manifest Destiny was mainly accomplished by the Monroe Doctrine, the annexation of Texas, and the Mexican-American War, but we were not a true continental power yet. After 1850, the Civil War, westward expansion, and the rise of big business made the United States a true continental power.

This was the time of “manifest destiny,” the idea that our country’s destiny was to expand west and occupy the whole width of the continent to the Pacific Ocean. The Louisiana Purchase made that a lot more possible. Main reasoning for more expansion was to gain farmland, developing more wealth and taxes, and a stronger nation. Jefferson also wanted to find routes to the Pacific Ocean for trade. Lewis and Clark’s expedition – after the purchase of the Louisiana Territory ̶ was meant for them to follow the Missouri River as far west as it went to see if they could find a water route leading to the Pacific. This way, boats could carry goods to the west coast and from there to Japan, China, etc. The Louisiana Purchase too would put an end to French claims to the western part of the continent. Without the French in our way, we would only have the Indians to deal with, who were much less of a threat. Jefferson also anticipated that the new land might become a refuge for free blacks and diminish racial tensions along the Atlantic

Manifest Destiny had a profound impact, as mentioned previously the term helped justify the new land the country annexed as well as received from the Mexican-American war, but the effects go beyond just that. The term may have faded over the years, but the ideology that the American culture needed to expand did not end in 1848 when the Mexican-American war ended, it ended much later. In 1898 during the Spanish-American war the Manifest Destiny ideology was extremely influential. The Manifest Destiny led the United States to go to war for imperialistic reasons and more importantly to solidify and improve the empire of the United States. The Americans dominated the war, and the citizens accounted the war for the idea of Manifest Destiny, the expansion of the country was needed. The United States received Puerto Rico, Guam and bought the Philippines for $20 million. The Spanish also deemed Cuba its independence. The doctrine of Manifest Destiny lived and was significant well beyond

The idea of Manifest Destiny was prevalent in America’s colonial ideologies. The popularized idea of Manifest Destiny is the desire to spread West, and it was justified by the means of the conquest of being what “God” wanted. America could be the land that stretches from sea to sea and some already had ideas of taking over lands such as the Caribbean. The land was meant for the American people and anyone who dared to say otherwise was against expansion. This idea was not created by the American government but it was rather thought up by a creative journalist named John L. O’Sullivan. Not all people thought expansion was necessary for the country, but those thoughts no longer mattered after the goal of colonizing the entirety of the land was set.

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 is a term coined in the 1840s. It meant that the United States could, and was destined to, have all the land from coast to coast. The term “Manifest Destiny” was first used in an article by John O’Sullivan in 1845. O’Sullivan stated in his article “our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” This sentiment helped to fuel additional western settlement in the Oregon territory, increased desire to annex Texas, and war with Mexico. United States President Polk was a supporter of Manifest Destiny. Consequently, his presidency aw the greatest territorial expansion to dare.

The Louisiana Purchase was the United States’ largest expantion of their border, which at the time only streched down to Georgia, up to Maine, along the Atlanic coast to the Missisipi river. The other side of the Missisipi was owned by the French, who also controlled important parts of the river. The President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, sent some people to New Orleans, which was an important port city, to try to buy it. Napoleon, who was fighting a war with the British, was in desprete need of money. Surprisingly, he wanted to sell the entire Louisiana terrortory to the United States. When they told him this, he was thunderstruck. Nepoleon hastily sold all 828,000 square miles of resource rich land for

Manifest Destiny was seen as a motivation towards Americans. Manifest destiny is a belief that the expansion of the United States were justified. The Manifest Destiny was able to develop a relationship with land and controlling something that can not really be possessed. There are three texts that support the concept of Manifest Destiny. The first text is, “American Progress” by John Gast, he showed motivation through a painting, the second text, “On Manifest Destiny, 1839” by John O’Sullivan showed motivation by persuading readers with history and possible events that could occur in the future, and the last text “Reporting to the President, September 23- December 31 1806” gave facts of what occurred in 1806.

The purpose of the Lewis and Clark Journals was for them to find an all water route to the ocean but to also document what they did and what they encountered during their voyage such as people, animals, and plants that could help the United States.

Manifest Destiny is an American philosophy with which it is to justify how that country has understood their place in the world and how to relate to other people. It is a doctrine, phrase or idea that expresses the belief that the United States is destined to spread to the four winds as supports the idea that is, to expand on the territories conquered North America and, in general, on the Western Hemisphere. This doctrine was not free of racism, considering that the American people were superior to the "mestizos" from neighboring countries south of the border, so they should be "regenerated". It seeks to understand the world that God chose these people to be a political and economic power and be a cut above the rest of the world. The principles that consolidated the doctrine of Manifest Destiny in the nineteenth century, rooted in the minds of Americans during the founding of the English colonies in North America in the seventeenth century. Although the most obvious manifestation of that nationalist doctrine is expressed in the field of politics, its essence is religious.

Manifest Destiny was a widely spread belief that settlers in the United States should expand across North America. It was the belief that fueled the westward expansion. The westward expansion led to many other events in and around the United States. Before Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War took place which allowed America to declare independence. Manifest Destiny was a big influence on the evolution of transport and technology.

The idea of Manifest Destiny was first appeared in an 1845 newspaper by John O'Sullivan. He believed it was a God-given right to move westward and spread the American democracy to others. It’s what driven Americans’ rapid expansion to the west and in the process, accumulates a lot of territories for the United States between 1812 and 1860. As such, Manifest Destiny has affected many ethnic groups in many ways. It gave way to the exclusion of Native Americans, conflicts with foreign nations, and an increased settlements to the west of the United States.

A democrat named John L. O’Sullivan proclaimed in 1845, “American’s manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted in us.” – (Lecture). Some advocates had limited territorial goals, others envisioned a vast new “empire of liberty” that included Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Pacific Islands, while others dreamed of the rest of the world. – (Page 135). Moreover, “manifest destiny had an explicitly racial component.” – (Lecture). It was believed that this manifest destiny was divinely ordained, and that the “American’s (white people) were a chosen people.” – (Lecture). They even had a ranking system for humans with themselves being on top and of course the slave at the bottom. During this period, “Henry Clay and others warned that territorial expansion would reopen the painful controversy over slavery.” – (Page 135). In addition to an explicitly racial component, manifest destiny had a political component, and was also “about power, especially economic power.” – (Lecture).