The Ideology Of Manifest Destiny

Improved Essays
During the early half of the 1800’s, the United States desired and pushed for the nation’s expansion of its territories throughout North America. The ideology of Manifest Destiny was what drove the colonist to pursue the expansion of the country. Manifest Destiny was a radical form of imperialism; proven by the way Americans expanded westward, gaining control of lands as it advanced , and brutally forcing the removal of many pervious inhabitant’s. Leading to bloody battles and victory for the United States, but still in no way were the Colonist’s actions justifiable.
As the United States advanced, it expanded westward believing that America was designed by God to expand its boundaries over a large region. Americans used this ideology as an
…show more content…
By negotiating a price for the land or by agreeing upon an appropriate treaty for the desired land. The Louisiana Purchase was a peaceful treaty between America and France, but the negotiations between America and Mexico suffered. Most territorial disputes between American’s and native inhabitants resulted in abrupt wars, such as the Seminole Wars in Florida and the Mexican- American war. In the 1820’s Texas was so under populated that the Mexican government started to encourage American settlement, by luring them with cheap land and tax exemption for 4 years. Many White southerners with their slaves moved immediately hoping to establish their cotton plantation, by 1830 Texas had twice as many American residents than Mexican. The new American settlers now living in Mexico were expected to follow the Mexican culture by becoming catholic and respecting the outlaw of slavery. Since these rules were not followed by the settlers, tensions grew. In 1846 president James K. Polk sent troops to the Mexican border and declared war after hearing that Mexico had denied the offer to buy off the wanted territories. This aggressive move by America showed that many American’s saw the same goal, that was Manifest Destiny, but they were blinded by power and would stop at nothing resulting in the removal of the previous inhabitants of the …show more content…
The Native American’s were starting to deal with major pressure from the Americans, by the end of the War of 1812, they only had to options which were to migrate with American society or to leave their lands. Native Americans lost the most from American expansion they were repeatedly forced to migrate west in order to make room for arriving white settlers. In 1838, the biggest Native American removal occurred, thousands of natives walked hundreds of miles with their families west hoping to reach Oklahoma. This migration is most commonly referred to as the trail of tears. At first this did not greatly affect the Indians, it did not displace them but as the growing population of white settlers grew in the west they were forced to keep giving up their lands. Soon they would have nowhere to go, with no land and rarely a hope for a better future. The Ideology of Manifest Destiny was the cause for Americans to view Native Americans as savages, only because they were in the way of the land they wanted to acquire.
The ideology of Manifest Destiny inspired the dream of the United States becoming a major power in North America and someday the world. Americans envisioned a untouchable empire expanding their boundaries across North America. The ideology of Manifest Destiny blinded the American’s and caused them to become cruel so it was nowhere near

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    He used this term to describe the motivation to expand west. The concept was meant to describe how some believed they were granted with God’s gifts, while other felt the western expansion was what the nation needed. He states how a nation filled with many diverse means, was “destined to manifest to mankind the excellence of divine principles” (Allard). Both, Polk and O’Sullivan believed moving west would be the start of a new life for America. The concept, allowed people to obtain their individual 's freedoms and to search new opportunities.…

    • 2086 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the early stages of America’s expansion a few major factors motivated the expansion towards the west. America is a new country at this time, and is dealing with its new power and responsibility. People in America at the time looked towards the future wealth they could obtain by expanding west. With the new unknown land to the west, the American people needed motivation to expand westward. The politics that motivated westward expansion revolved around the indigenous people on the land, a big ideology which spurred westward expansion was Manifest Destiny, and the economic factor for this expansion was slavery and its role in the industrialization of America.…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Great Move (My opinion of why manifest destiny was a turning point in American History) American history has been debated time and time again. Everyone has a favorite time in history and often hold their own opinions about the events that take place. From the Declaration of Independence and the birth of America to the Revolutionary War that brought forth the great American dream, many things were innovated and changing. A new task, the task of moving west, started with Lewis and Clark and the great expedition that proved that moving west was in fact safe.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    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.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jadyn M. Foster Mr. Harris History 7th Period 1/23/2018 Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny The Westward Expansion was a big story in the U.S. It began along the East Coast and continuing until it got to the Pacific. Before the Americans won the battle against the Britain, some settlers were already moving west into what today is called Tennessee and Kentucky. And some parts of the Deep South and Ohio Valley.…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Manifest Destiny was the name given to the Anglo-American (white) expansion into the west. The Manifest Destiny believed that white Americans were superior people who believed in God. Americans were to populate North America “sea to shining sea” and spread the religion of Christianity. Manifest destiny highlighted American’s confidences, they moved west for more land, it uplifted the American’s freedom and democracy. The United States uses the Manifest Destiny to start war with Mexico from1846 to 1848.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From 1776- 1900, the United States was largely regarded as the “land of opportunity”. The main contributor to this ideal opportunity was the vast frontier the United States acquired which is seen as the land of the wild with no rules in which you can make new ideas, beginning with the Louisiana Purchase that allowed many minority groups to settle west and make their own towns and farms without being persecuted. This ease expansion west eventually led to the belief in Manifest Destiny which is the ideal that the United States has the divine right stretch from the east to the west coast. These later expansions allowed many minority groups to escape persecution, and gave the common man the ability to own land and rise above their station.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny was a term that described the expansion of the United States. The name “manifest destiny” was brought up by an editor from the Democratic Review, John L. O’Sullivan. He wrote, “Our manifest destiny is to overspread the continent allotted by Providence…” Manifest destiny also had the chance to spread Anglo-American culture and the idea of racial superiority. The “inferior” peoples living the far west of the United States—Native Americans and Mexicans— had to be subjected to the American ideals and to be taught republicanism and Protestantism.…

    • 1430 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Manifest Destiny Thesis

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    During the mid-nineteenth century, a vision on expansion surfaced in the United States. This new vision or ideology was known as Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the idea that the new colonies in the United States not only had the right to expand west, but that it also was the will of God to do so. This new idea gave Americans the right to expand into Native Territory without any consequences.…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Manifest Destiny was a sequence of events that occurred prior to 1877 and positively impacted the progression of the New World. It included very important aspects of today’s America civilization, and embellishments that will forever be known as the foundation. Many forefathers and individuals that played important roles took action prior to 1877 and helped mold America into the country that it is today. Adjustments made regarding Native Americans, slaves, politics and other such things helped develop a baseline and initiated the expansion of the New World. These circumstances made it all possible and now leave us with a substantial amount of history relative to America and its unique development.…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Manifest Destiny was not benevolent, but an aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others because America spreaded its boundaries over a vast area. The removal of the Indians, possession of Oregon and Texas, as well as the Mexican War, were all results of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was an. aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others due to events similar to the removal of Indians.…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    How Manifest Destiny Change the Americas In the nineteenth century, the average American believed in the popular slogan Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the belief that God had predestined the people of America to expand across the continent of North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. In the eighteenth century, the belief in Manifest Destiny no only made a way for physical expansion but also political, social, and economic aspects of the early United States as well. The physical changes in the 1800s consisted of the geographical growth in which they tripled in size.…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Test 4: Study Guide Terms Manifest Destiny The term, “manifest destiny” refers to the assumed god given right to expand westward freely, even though it was at the expense at for other ethnic groups such as the Native Americans, Hispanics, Spaniards, and the British. The idea also created a powerful justification for the Christian republic expansion. Because of the manifest destiny, it opened an opportunity for colonists to give up their unfavorable lifestyles in the East and restart their lives as a pioneer in the western frontier.…

    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The people of the United States believed it was their god given right to expand from the Atlantic Ocean, east to the Pacific Ocean, North to Canadian border, and South to Mexico. This idea of Manifest Destiny fueled the expansion into the West. Big indicators of Manifest Destiny were the use of the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican – American War. Despite Manifest Destiny bringing about an increase in sectionalism and conflict, it also allowed for the expansion of territory and fueled movement into the west. With people moving west into the newly claimed territory, there was controversy whether the territories would become free or slave states.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nineteenth century America saw much expansion west. People from every state sought to travel out west for various reasons. Some would travel out west for a promise of new life, some sought gold, and others desired to cultivate the vast land. The trials, hardships, and obstacles facing settlers did not deter them; even if it meant clearing out the natives living in those regions. Robert May, writer for PBS, writes that the leading factor driving expansion was Manifest Destiny, the idea that the expansion of the United States was ordained by God.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays