Manifest Destiny is the name for the American expansion that occurred in the 1800s. It was an imperialistic act. The exact definition of imperialism is a policy of extending a country 's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. The United States was behaving like an imperial power through its expansion westward. There were already people living in those areas. The Natives already had claim over the land, they were there first rightfully it was their land. The people of the United States had for the most part immigrated to the country and had no actual right to those lands. They used the idea of Manifest Destiny to give themselves the right to take over land that already belonged to someone else, claiming it was their destiny to expand westward and spread republican democracy.
The United States did not want other countries to take over the land west of them, viewing it as a danger to their way of living. James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States, in his annual message to Congress in 1823 said “We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety” …show more content…
The United States has no actual claim to the lands they wanted to expand onto. There were already Natives living on those lands, but the United States has no respect for the claim the Natives already had for the land, for the fact that this was the Natives homes they were being forced out of. They used many excuses like they wanted to preserve their way of life and if the Natives just assimilate they wouldn’t be forced off their lands, but they never showed any respect towards the Natives. The United States wanted to expand their empire and they were going to do it no matter who was already on that land. It’s a very clear act of
The United States did not want other countries to take over the land west of them, viewing it as a danger to their way of living. James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States, in his annual message to Congress in 1823 said “We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety” …show more content…
The United States has no actual claim to the lands they wanted to expand onto. There were already Natives living on those lands, but the United States has no respect for the claim the Natives already had for the land, for the fact that this was the Natives homes they were being forced out of. They used many excuses like they wanted to preserve their way of life and if the Natives just assimilate they wouldn’t be forced off their lands, but they never showed any respect towards the Natives. The United States wanted to expand their empire and they were going to do it no matter who was already on that land. It’s a very clear act of