Manifest Destiny DBQ

"Manifest destiny" enlightened Americans to their right of land. It was the explanation for the war that the Mexicans could not control their extra land, so it was the right of the Americans to control it for them. When Stephen Austin and his settlers settled in Texas, it showed that the Mexican Government could not handle the extra territory. In order to get even with Mexico after the Alamo war was a necessity. Polk tried time and time again to negotiate peace but his vision of a better America and respected stubbornness allowed him to keep his mind set for the interest of the American people.

Americans were outraged over the border dispute at the Nueces and the Rio Grande rivers, and Mexicans were irate with America’s annexation of Texas. President James K. Polk availed in the atmosphere of animosity, hurrying to place troops on conflicted land. On May 9, 1846, he found his cause for war. Mexican and American troops had engaged in combat on April 24, which led American blood spilt on contended soil. However, through all their fighting spirit, the Americans faithfully ignored their own mistreatment of the Mexicans.

The belief that their young Nation had a god given destiny was enough for many Americans to believe that the border dispute was an act against God’s plan for America, and that the land between the Nueces and the Rio Grande was utterly necessary for the U.S. to own. “Other nations have undertaken… hostile interference against us, … hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our Manifest Destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence [God] for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” (Document A). The majority of the American population believed that it was their divinely appointed future, to spread across the continent and grow into a massive, yet caring, world power, was being threatened by Mexico’s unwillingness to give up the land between the Nueces and the Rio

The year was 1803, and the United States had agreed to buy the mid-eastern plains from France, resolving as the Louisiana Purchase. However, James Polk, who was elected as president in 1844, created the Manifest Destiny, which was the belief that the United States was destined to claim the land of the West coast, which at that moment, was all a part of Mexico. He had his eye especially on California, and was not ready to let Mexico ruin the Manifest Destiny from becoming fulfilled. Eventually he proposed to Congress to start a war with Mexico, and only sixteen denied the request. Even before Polk was president, the Battle of the Alamo occurred between Mexico and the U.S., both wanting Texas.

In 1846, America declared war on Mexico and fought to win much of what currently makes up the Southwestern portion of the United States. The war with Mexico was just one example of the many militant acts that undoubtably paralleled Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny emerged instinctively and inevitability out of fundamental want and need for people to explore, conquer new lands and establish new borders with other nations. With this growth came moral, cultural, social, ideological, and economic differences between people, states and countries. The term Manifest Destiny was often used by those who wanted secure territory in places like California, and Mexico.

Throughout the 19th century, the United States’ population significantly increased. Mexico looked towards the United State’s booming population and offered Stephen Austin the prospect of colonizing the “old three-hundred” American families in present-day Texas in order to populate the otherwise desolate region. Mexican officials, however, weren’t aware of the implications such colonization would have on the union’s longevity. In spite of Mexican provisions requiring colonists to become “Mexicanized” and be non-slave owning catholics, many Texans did not follow such terms facilitating the development of an independent Texan-American identity ultimately culminating in the Texan Revolution. After the Texan Revolution, Texas applied for statehood in the United States raising questions as to how such expansionism might upset the balance of free to slave states.

Most of the Americans that had settled into Texas were from the southern states, which slavery was still legal in. They would bring their slaves with them, but slavery was illegal in Mexico. Mexico did not want them to have slaves and was upset about this slave problem. The settlers made their slaves sign agreements, saying that they are not slaves but “indentured servants”, which was not the case. The Mexican

Have you ever been so hungry for land that you accidently set of a war with Mexico when you were just trying to buy their land in the first place? Land in the eighteen hundreds was very valuable and so when you're the president of a country you want your followers to be happy. So with president J Polk being in charge, he sets foot and says a whole speech about “manifest destiny”, which later on results in many things like, Mexico rejecting 30 million dollars for land, General Zachary Taylor leading troops up to the Rio Grande, the Mexican - American war taking place, and the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. So president James k Polk always did believe in this thing called Manifest Destiny which stood for, let's head westward across the north american continents. By doing so it would allow his american people to expand in a less crowded area.

During this time in American history America had the growing feeling of Manifest Destiny. This was the desire to expand westward. This westward movement brought many Americans into Mexican territory. At this time Mexico controlled California and most of the southern portions of the western territories. Mexico 's problem was that even though they possessed these territories they did not have a population and large enough Military force to control them.

Many believe the Mexican-America war had been driven from the idea of “Manifest Destiny”,( a belief that was said for America to have a God- given right to expand, From ‘sea to shining sea’). Little did anyone know that this believe would be cause of a great amount of suffering for Native Americans, Hispanics, and even the United States own citizens. Shortly after the Texas war of independence from Mexico, tension began to rise between the two of the largest independent nations, on the North American continent after texas became apart of the Unites States. Arguments over the border lines began to need military help, and due to president polk who always sought war in order to seize land from Mexico, really helped. There had been 2 very basic

The first half of the nineteenth century was a period of successful expansion for the United States. American hunger for westward expansion resulted in several and political disputes between the United States and Mexico. Americans believed in the Manifest Destiny as an act to spread across from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean to seek for wealth and land . Tensions sparked when the American settlers encountered an obstacle with the indigenous tribes against the annexation of Texas along with various frontier states in Mexico. Primary causes of the Mexican-American War were the Louisiana Purchase, the Manifest Destiny, and the Texas Annexation.

After a year of independence from Mexico, Texas approached the United States about the possibility of being admitted to the Union as a slave-state. Fearing the wrath of Mexico and not wanting to disrupt the balance in the Senate, America declined Texas’ offer. Although, during the election of 1844 James K. Polk ran on a platform that embraced American territorial expansionism. Polk won the election and six days before he took office, the U.S. Congress approved the annexation of Texas. But, before Texas was an American state, there was tension amongst Texans and .

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mexican Soldiers gained upon us, and fired. The attack led with surprised war cries... The Mexican American War impacted many lives. It determined if Mexico was able to keep California and Texas away from America’s grasp. In 1821, Mexico won it’s independence from Spain.

But the U.S had the idea of "Manifest Destiny. " It was that the U.S believed that they had the right to expand westward to the Pacific ocean. But on the other hand, Mexico wanted to settle further north along the pacific coast. In the 1500’s, the Spanish had conquered and settled Central Mexico.

The Mexican American war was one of many expressions of Manifest Destiny. Indeed, the zeitgeist during the mid 19th century was one of patriotism and ambition. Many Americans, believing that it was their God-given duty, wanted to claim territory that was not “rightly” being used. During this period, the United States nearly doubled in size because of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, gaining massive amounts of what previously had been the Republic of Mexico. This meant that all the new territories in the Southwest could join the Union as slave states.