Manifest Destiny: The Colonization Of North America

If this be a spirit of aggrandizement, the undersigned are prepared to admit, in that sense, its existence; but they must deny that it affords the slightest proof of an intention not to respect the boundaries between them and European nations, or of a desire to encroach upon the territories of Great Britain. . . . They will not suppose that that Government will avow, as the basis of their policy towards the United States a system of arresting their natural growth within their own territories, for the sake of preserving a perpetual desert for savages” . This showed that the United States would state firm in their endeavor to not only Christianize the North American continent but remain in control of the lands they had already acquired with

Manifest Destiny involved many groups of people, but six of the main categories are the mountain men, travellers on the Oregon Trail, pioneer women, cowboys, Native Americans, and the Miners, also known as the 49ers. The mountain men were men who lived in the Rocky Mountains, and made livings as trappers who sold goods such as beavers pelts to people back East and Europe. There were over 350,000 people on the trail, and most of which were families with children. This took place mainly in the 1840s and 1860s. A subgroup of the Oregon travellers were the Pioneer women. They had to move along with the long distances each day, and at the same time cook, clean, and take care of children. To add to the struggle, one in five of these women were

In the early-mid 1800’s Manifest Destiny occurred. Manifest Destiny is a term for the United States expanding from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexican territory. During this time, the United States obtained all the areas west of the original thirteen states. Many Americans had moved west because of personal economic problems. All throughout Manifest Destiny, the United States ran into problems with the Native Americans, faced a battle against Mexico, and obtained new land through battles with Mexico.

Many people believed that Mexico invaded the United States and caused the U.S Mexico war; however, it was actually United States who raided Mexico first. The author, Rodolfo Acuna, purpose of writing “Occupied America: A History of Chicanos” was too informed of how the United States came to invade Mexico which led to the U.S Mexico War. Such as how the U.S President Polk, who played a huge role in the U.S Mexico war. Other events include the Anglo Settlements in Texas who brought their slaves, Texas War of Independence, and the terms of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. All these events are what led up the U.S Mexico War.

Manifest destiny was almost like a way of life for the American people. It was the idea that something was destined to happen and that it would be better for the people if they followed this instinct. One of the thoughts that they got was traveling West. They thought that it would help them gain more land and become richer. This movement affected many people and places and tribes. The things and people that were most affected were the Native Americans, Slavery, and the relationship between free states and slaveholding states.

The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt by the U.S Congress to settle divisive issues between the North and South, including slavery expansion, apprehension in the North of fugitive slaves, and slavery in the District of Columbia. The Compromise of 1850 failed because Senator John C. Calhoun from the South and Senator William Seward from the North could not agree on what Henry Clay was putting down. Part of the compromise was to make California a slavery free state which benefits the North, and enforcing a stricter fugitive slave law which benefits the South. Both the North and South opposed what the other was benefiting from. What sparked the failure of the Compromise was the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. This law allowed southerners to reclaim

America had a dream of Manifest Destiny (O’Sullivan). Which they believe that God had set aside the entire North America for United States(Textbook). “Which later started the Westward movement”. During the time Native Americans tribes and Mexico had already had been inhabiting the area(Textbook). They would not leave without a fight.

“Manifest Destiny,” written by John L. O’Sullivan, explains how expansion is needed for america and how it could better our nation. The painting “American Progress,”supports expansion by displaying what it looked like when the settlers moved in. The text, “Reporting to the President, September 23-December 31,1806,” by Stephen Ambrose, supports westward expansion by talking about how lewis and Clarke did good things to help westward expansion. What do you think about westward expansion?

Manifest Destiny was the term used by John O’Sullivan to describe America’s desire to expand West due to reasons including both the vast amount of unclaimed land and the opportunities Americans wanted to explore. During this time, Americans believed that it was their God-given right to expand West, and therefore they were entitled to push away any groups that were in their way. Due to the mindset that the Americans could do as they pleased with the groups of people who got in their way, Manifest Destiny affected many groups of people, including the American Indians and Slaves, and continued to build up the preexisting tension between the North and South.

“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion. The time of Manifest Destiny was a time of true American brotherhood and comradeship. With Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk being the leading presidents of the cause during this time, it not only led to continental expansion but homicide as well. While the Americans believed they were expanding into free land, Native Americans had already settled the land centuries earlier. This led to the dark side of Manifest Destiny. Native Americans were forced to pick up their homes and resettle in areas that were less than sufficient to meet their basic needs. If Native Americans were not compliant, Americans would murder them. Although Manifest Destiny was seen as an inevitable movement among Americans and resulted in the formation of the American West in the Nineteenth century, it was truthfully an act of invasion and subjugation against peoples who had settled the land for hundreds of years earlier. Manifest Destiny led to an obvious upsurge in racial

Westward Expansion and Slavery were the prominent reasons for the secession crisis. The North and South developed tension due to their differing economic backgrounds. The South’s economy was heavily reliant on slave labor to produce cotton, making them want to fight to protect their way of life and the pillars of their society. In contrast, industry fueled the North, allowing the region to see the evil nature of slavery and develop antislavery views. The Fugitive Slave act of 1850 forced Northerners to support the institution through returning runaway slaves, creating anger and resistance in the North and additional tension. In response, Southerners threatened to succeed from the union due to their view that this infringed on their individual rights and damaged the backbone of their livelihood. Additionally, the regional economies impacted views on westward expansion and whether new territories or states should permit the institution, such as California This resulted in a major increase in the stress between the regions due to each region wanting equal representation. Although members of the government attempted to compromise to even out the number of slave and non slave states, such as the Compromise of 1850, there were countless times that the two regions struggled over the laws of slavery and the territories that it should be permitted, further increasing the ideological and political divide and leading to the secession of the Southern states.

The Market Revolution generated a drastic change in the United States economy and altered gender barriers while at the same time accomplishing this in a provocative manner. This economic boom occurred around the first half of the 19th Century. The economic boom was achieved by inventions such as a transcontinental railroad system which resulted in a better transportation system which improved trade and the cotton gin which sped up the rate of removing seeds from cotton fiber. However like what the great Hugo said, “The brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over we realize this: that the human race has been roughly handled, but that it has advanced”. That is exactly what happened with this revolution in fact and the progress

Manifest Destiny was a phrase that was made up by journalist John L. O’sullivan back in 1844. The United States wanted to push westward to the frontier such as Texas, California, and Oregon. The reason behind Manifest Destiny was to expand to provide new places to live and jobs. Manifest Destiny is the belief that the Americans could extend themselves from coast to coast. The way Americans conquered the new land were removing the Native Americans from their land.

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

Manifest Destiny was a positive force in American History. Because of Manifest Destiny, American settlers were able to travel to the more Western parts of our country like Texas. A lot of events took place in Texas which also helped us build our country throughout history.