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Mormonism : Westward Expansionism And The Manifest Destiny

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The term Manifest Destiny was coined in 1845 with the publication of Democratic Review which “called for American expansionism (Scott)”. It declared that expansion represented “the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.(Scott)”. Americans justified this expansion as their destiny given by God to occupy the entire stretch of land from coast to coast south of Canada. The need for the expansion of territory and the growing population also drove the Americans towards the West. Farmers, Native Americans, 49ers, cowboys travelled to the wild West in search of land, money, new life, or business opportunities, whereas the purpose for the Mormons moving West was mostly due to religions persecution in the North. Mormonism is a religion created by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830(The Mormon Trail), its believers are referred to as Mormons and practice the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) (The Mormon Trail). Smith believed himself to be a prophet destined to “restore the original pure church the Christians in the Book of Mormon had created (Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion).” However, he was killed by a mob in Illinois but was replaced by his successor, Brigham Young. Their beliefs include a particular set of deity, afterlife, and they practice polygamy, which is one of the reasons the Mormons sought religious freedom. “Throughout the nineteenth

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