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Manifest Destiny Analysis

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Manifest Destiny's ideas of spreading democratic principles along with the belief that God had chosen America's people for the great task of extending freedom across the continent would lead to a mindset best described as the white man's burden. The great task of bringing the heathen nations that surrounded America under her promising, beautiful banner of democracy and civilization seemed no small task to bare, but one that was imperative to accomplish. The importance of this task was well outlined by the very man who coined the term, saying "In this path we cannot go wrong. It is only to be cautious not to go too fast. Such then is our democracy." (O'sullivan, Greatest 339). O'sullivan's goes on to say "For democracy is the cause of humanity. …show more content…

Polk had sent John Slidell to negotiate with Mexico, unfortunately the negotiations did not go well causing General Zachory Taylor to travel to the Rio Grand with a band of 4,000 troops. During a battle placed between the Rio Grand and the Nueces River a handful of Americans were kill by Mexican troops, soon after Polk gave an address to Congress to plea for war, saying " Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have commenced and that the two nations are now at war."(Polk, 456). Polk based much of his argument of the news of the death of American soldiers, claiming that American blood had been shed on American soil, but in reality the land they had died on was past the boundary of the United States and taken place within the disputed territory. Despite this fact people of America rallied behind the call of war after these solders death and set an ultimatum for the war and it was clear to many that the small Mexican army had a slim chance of winning. Americans wanted the Mexican's to leave the territory as well as give over control to New Mexico and California, and on May 13, 1846 Congress officially declared War with Mexico, authorizing 50,000 troops to march to Mexico City. (Acuna

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