Manifest Destiny In American History

The idea of manifest destiny is without a doubt one of the most influential philosophies in American history. It called upon Americans to establish an empire from “sea to shining sea.” Even if it was coupled with strife, the movement helped more than hurt those involved with territorial expansion, the relocation of inhabitants, and the prosperity of the nation. The idea that America could expand to the Pacific was an impossibility before 1800. However, after the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, and the expeditions to the Pacific by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark proved that an empire was in the grasp of America. However, the British and the natives still occupied the region west of the Ohio River. Great Britain and America both displayed equal ferocity and deception when competing over the land the U.S.A had already purchased from …show more content…
While this may seem aggressive, it was not extreme for the era of imperialism. If not for the assertiveness of the American nation, another nation, possibly Mexico, British Canada, or even Russia could have claimed California and other western portions of the continent. At the time, the nation-state was one of the most important philosophies in Europe, which meant America had to adopt a fierce colonization policy, and a sufficient imperialistic attitude to compete with the highly efficient empires of Europe. Without it, America may have struggled as a budding nation, and “suffocated” by growing communities, looming threats, and advancing sections of other colonial empires. Manifest Destiny allowed the U.S.A to succeed in a way that Americans accepted, but also propel it to a new height of prosperity that rivaled European nations. The abundance of land available to America was envied by all other great powers, and their aggression towards natives was just as ferocious as all other nations, if not