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Concept Of Manifest Destiny

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Based on the following three sources, did the concept of Manifest Destiny motivate Americans to try to develop a relationship with land and to control something that cannot truly be possessed? American Progress –John Gast “on Manifest Destiny, 1839” –John O’Sullivan “Reporting to the President, September 23- December 31, 1806” (pages 418-21) –Stephen Ambrose Use evidence from all three sources to support your ideas. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Manifest Destiny is the belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable. This meaning that Americans believed they were destined to hold dominion over both of the American continents …show more content…

They also believed that America was destined to be a sort-of “alpha country” because it was blessed by God(paragraph 6). The phrase Manifest Destiny was coined by John O’Sullivan in his work On Manifest Destiny. In his text, O’Sullivan tells this fact over and over and uses rhetorical devices to try to convince the reader of it as well. He says the relationship of Americans with land is one of master and servant; and the land being the servant(paragraph 7). The control of the land is not a real control because one can only control something if one possesses it completely and land is not something that can be truly possessed. Another point O’Sullivan iterates on is how America will have a golden life because its form of government is so prestigious and grand and it is based on morals which is is better than all other governments(paragraph 2). This shows the reader that Americans are trying to control their politics, they’re trying to take hold of a system of governance. They cannot own a government controlled by millions so they cannot truly control it by

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