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Essay On Manifest Destiny

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The Manifest Destiny was a belief formulated by Americans that our nation should expand from coast to coast. The idea was formulated because of Americans pride and nationalism made them believe it was their destiny to expand the United States to the western coast. The Louisiana Purchase was the first act that started to fuel the idea of the Manifest Destiny, followed by Westward Migration, and the eventual wars that would take place in the new westward regions. The expansion of the United States, although at the time was aggressive in nature, would help to create the nation we see today. The Louisiana Purchase started the expansion of the United States westward into what is now known as the Midwest. The purchase was made on April 30, 1803, …show more content…

This was because the American migrants began to take an interest in the southwest especially what would become the state of California. President Polk shared the same interest in the territories of California and New Mexico and began to send troops to Texas under the command of General Zachary Taylor. President Polk new war was imminent between the United States and Mexico and appeared prepared for such a war. However Polk wanted to try and solve the conflict diplomatically by sending a special minister to try and buy off the Mexicans but was rejected by Mexican leaders. On January 13, 1846 in response to the rejection Polk ordered Taylor to send troops across the Nueces River, and on May 13, 1846 war was officially declared on Mexico by congress. The victory did not come easy to Polk as he thought it would, but on February 2, 1848 an agreement was made with Mexico known as the Treaty of Guadalupe which states Mexico agreed to cede California and New Mexico to the United States. This was shows how far the United States was willing to go in order to fulfill the Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny helped to spark an expansion in the United States that would change the shape of the nation forever. The Louisiana Purchase sparked this idea of expansion, and then was quickly followed by the westward migration of a large population, and this would lead to

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