Manifest Destiny: The Beginning In The Early Nineteenth Century

Beginning in the early nineteenth century, the idea of expansionism, settling all of the lands on this continent from coast-to-coast, led to the mindset that Americans came to call Manifest Destiny. As more and more Americans moved west; however, conflict arose with the Native Americans, Mexicans, British, and Spanish who had laid claim to these lands for generations. While the problems encountered were many, they mainly centered on who actually owned the land; just how much land was available; and how would expansion impact the lives of those involved? The idea of expanding westward created many issues with other nations. During the early nineteenth century, the United States only owned land east of the Appalachians. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 allowed people to legally settle in the region west of the Appalachians. However, before approval of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, settlers were settling on the Native American lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, and they were expecting the government to give protection against …show more content…
“New diseases wiped out entire civilizations in the Americas, while newly imported nutrient-rich foodstuffs enabled a European population boom” (“12. Manifest Destiny”). It is believed that millions died while no one really knows the true population of the Americas at the time; however, the introduction of new illnesses was tragic to the Indians (Brinkley 12-13). However, this increased the idea of manifest destiny as it “strengthened the sense of superiority among Europeans that had been a part of their view of Indians from the beginning” (Brinkley 49). Although many problems arose, the native Indians started trading with some of the settlers which created friendships and allowed them to trust one another to a certain degree; however, not all settlers were able to befriend the Native Americans or gain their