As the years progressed, the United States was willing to acquire new land. In 1803 the US received the Louisiana territory from France and in 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the US. Citizens of the US however believed it was their right given by God to rule over the whole continent. In order to do that, the US needed Mexico to give up land. Mexico had received independence from Spain in 1821. Texas was annexed by the US from Mexico in 1845. Mexico was not happy about this and the whole conflict had started the Mexican American War which started in 1846 and America won in 1848. As a result, the US gained the rest of the states that make up the United States. The benefits of the Manifest Destiny such as new land and a more advanced political view …show more content…
In 1845, the US annexed Texas from Mexico. This was because of the disputed territory and each country’s perspective on where the border is. The US believed that the Rio Grande was the border between Mexico and Texas but Mexico believed that the Nueces River was the border between Texas and Mexico. The Mexican American War started because American Soldiers, Zachary Taylor and Thornton were attacked in the territory north of the Rio Grande (O.I.). Prior to America receiving the land that was won from Mexico, America was on defense ready to make a treaty or start a war with Mexico for the land. Soldiers would guard between America and Mexico borders because that was undecided land. America’s point of view is that the Mexicans started the war because the soldiers were said to be attacked on American territory meaning that the Mexicans wanted to start conflict with America. (Doc A). Before the Mexican American War, Mexico wasn’t happy with America because the US had annexed Texas from Mexico.The annexation of Texas would let Great Britain know that America is expanding. America wanted to be viewed as politically and militarily superior (Doc C). Receiving Texas was the first step to America realizing their Manifest Destiny and wanting to increase their territory. Some citizens believed that the positives outcome of the Mexican American War was worth the …show more content…
Some of the negative consequences of the Manifest Destiny was conflict with Mexico and more slavery in the new acquired territory. In the Mexican American war, there were two perspectives on that issue. The Mexican perspective is that America started the war because American troops were on Mexican land and the Mexicans thought the Americans would attack them so they started defending themselves (Doc B). The American perspective was complete opposite than the Mexicans and this conflict would remain between the two countries for many years. Following the Mexican American war was the California Gold Rush. The Gold Rush occurred from 1848-1855 (O.I.). Everyone would go out to California because there was abundant gold in that territory. However, people didn’t know what to expect. Many individuals became selfish and wanted to go out west to become rich. With all these people moving out westward, there needed to be a sense of order. Also, as people moved west, the Native Americans felt threatened of their land and always felt like the minority. (Doc F). With all the commotion westward, the Native Americans felt threatened. One reason being that with all the people westward, the transcontinental railroad was built to make transportation easier. This was a huge benefit in society however a very negative thing to the Native Americans. The transcontinental railroad caused many buffalo to die out which
Manifest Destiny is the belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable that occurred in the late 1800s. The Americans moved westward into native lands and they killed off a great percentage of the buffalo population. Was it smart to move West? What were some of the consequences of their actions? When did manifest destiny start and stop?
Manifest destiny is the U.S.’s idea that god wants them to expand all the way to the ocean. They did, but they set their eyes on Hawaii, Cuba, and the Philippines. At the time, Cuba was under Spanish control. Cuba wished to be independent from the Spanish. America had interest in Cuba due to economic interests. Not every American wanted to have Cuba join, neither did Cuba want to join. The Spanish were doing cruel things to the natives. The U.S. went to war against the Spanish. Americans did not appreciate that troops had to go to war to free another country. Hawaii before annexation was a harbor for ships. The U.S. wanted Pearl Harbor for the Navy. When American settlers came, they devastated the economy there. In addition, they brought diseases
During the 19th century of the American expansion the United States but was heading to stretch from coast to coast. But this attitude helped fuel western settlement, Native American removal and war with Mexico. The belief of the Manifest Destiny had numerous parts for many things, each was serving people in different ways. The Manifest Destiny was supported by many Americans. The components created separate reasons to overcome a new land. Manifest Destiny was used among the Americans in the 1840’s as a defense for U.S. territorial expansion. It was an idea that was taken to be true that God had destined that “the white man” to a godly mission of American movement and defeat in the name of Christianity and democracy. John O’Sullivan first initiated manifest destiny in America in 1845. He edited the annexation of Texas was published on 1845 edition of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review. in 1845 to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Country to the United States. And to give the name and description to the creed of victorious Americans. Though the next two decades of the nation needed more territory, so then began the enormous territory growth. The nation stretched. The
The way that the concept of Manifest Destiny would have affected American politics and government in the mid 19-century would be many. The meaning of the term Manifest Destiny would be “the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable”. Due to this many people had craved the idea of expansion and as of a result, people running for president would say that they would expand the United States. Another effect for anyone running for president had a more likely chance of winning. One great example of this would be James, K Polk.
While Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion created conflict with foreign nations, including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and within the United States, it worked to unify the United States from 1830 to 1860 by strengthening the nation as a whole, creating economic opportunities for people from all different walks of life, and expanding the United States through the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of California from Mexico.
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
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
Manifest Destiny, one of the most influential ideologies in American history, was used as the basis to justify almost-continuous conflict from the early- to the late-19th century (Greenberg 3). This conflict included the relentless displacement of Native Americans from their ancestral lands, a war of aggression against Mexico in 1846, and attacks on countries such as Canada, Cuba, and even Central America, by filibusters and military action to gain overseas colonies (Greenberg 10, 25, and 26). While Manifest Destiny first arose as a dominant ideology during the early nineteenth-century, the concept of American exceptionalism, the heart of this ideology, was older than the nation itself. This concept was taken by white Americans as proof that they, and their nation, were unique and marked by God for a special destiny (Greenberg, 5). It would be several decades before the advantages of American settlement would be presented to the world. One advantage being the Louisiana Purchase, which was the expansion westward.
Manifest Destiny took place in the US in the mid-1800. Manifest Destiny was used among the Americans in the 1840’s as a defense for U.S. territorial expansion. It is the presumption that God had destined the American people to at divine mission of American movement and conquest in the name of Christianity and democracy.
Thomas Jefferson purchased land from the French during the Louisiana Purchase which gave the United States land west. He sent Lewis and Clark west to explore what he had just purchased. During the same time of the Louisiana Purchase, there was a concept of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was a main idea during the 1800s. It is the belief that the land west was the Americans land to settle and that the resources were theirs to use. This belief was self-centered and did not focus on the Native Americans. The Americans did not reach out to the Natives to build a strong nation and instead they took the tools, ideas, and materials to build their nation and left the Natives out of it. Americans saw their dream as a free country and it was their right to conquer others’ property without their consent. During westward expansion, American identity evolved into one image for all Americans that emphasized greed and power and the belief that American settlers should create their own sovereign land.
The belief in Manifest Destiny, that settlers were destined to expand across North America, was held by most Americans. At the same time the belief came about, debates in Washington were going on about the future of America. While many debates were held in Washington, there was also a lot of conflicts in states like Kansas and Nebraska. Both the debates in Washington regarding the westward expansion of the new nation and the laws by which it should govern itself, as well as the conflicts on the ground regarding those very same issues, set America on the path that could lead to only one destination; the Civil War.
In a short history, American manifest destiny was a big mistake for Indian people in the past. The Indian people lived on the land before the Americans came. However, manifest destiny is the affliction Americans have that makes them believe God and took control all their land. For example, American settlers took their land and forced them into another uncomfortable place, less nature resource, and difficult to survive. Moreover, America settlers brought diseases into Indian tribes that made a lot of Indian people sick and dead. In addition, American settlers had a negative impact to the environment and natures resource such as more hunting and fishing that cost extinction, more cutting trees to build houses due to deforestation. In conclusion,
Manifest destiny was used as an excuse for America claiming land it had never had any right to. Americans wanted to extend slavery and saw taking land from Mexico as a way to do so. President Polk set the perfect opportunity to get Mexicans to attack US soldiers, so he would have grounds for war. None of these were justified reasons for war, and only caused a larger rift to form within the nation. The United States’ unjustified decision to go to war with Mexico was a driving force in dividing the nation, ultimately leading to the Civil
While Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion created conflict with foreign nations, including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and within the United States, it worked to unify the United States from 1830 to 1860 by strengthening the nation as a whole, creating economic opportunities for people from all different walks of life, and expanding the United States through the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of California from Mexico.
The bad side of the coin was that manifest destiny ran the Native Americans out