Concept and Impact of Manifest Destiny in American History
This essay is about Manifest Destiny, a 19th-century ideology that justified and promoted U.S. territorial expansion. Coined by journalist John L. O’Sullivan in 1845, it combined religious fervor, nationalism, and belief in American superiority. Manifest Destiny drove significant events like the Louisiana Purchase, Texas annexation, and the Mexican-American War, leading to vast territorial gains. However, it also resulted in the displacement and suffering of Native American tribes and exacerbated sectional tensions over slavery, contributing to the Civil War. Despite its controversies, Manifest Destiny spurred economic growth, infrastructure development, and cultural contributions, profoundly shaping American history and identity.
How it works
Manifest Destiny, a big idea in the 1800s, played a huge role in how the United States expanded across North America. This belief said it was right and bound to happen that the U.S. would spread out, driven by a sense of mission and fate. It really shaped the country’s politics, culture, and geography, bringing about big and often controversial changes.
The term “Manifest Destiny” was coined by John L. O’Sullivan in 1845. He used it to argue for adding Texas and the Oregon Territory to the country, saying it was America’s God-given right and duty to spread its ways and make the land its own.
This idea mixed religious passion, nationalism, and a belief that American democracy was the best. Not everyone agreed, but many Americans saw the West as a place full of promise and chances.
One of the biggest impacts of Manifest Destiny was how much land the United States grabbed. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the country’s size, was an early sign of this idea. But it was really in the 1840s and 1850s that Manifest Destiny took off. Adding Texas in 1845, the Oregon Trail migrations, and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) all showed that Americans believed they were meant to expand. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War, gave the U.S. huge areas in the West, like today’s California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
But this time of taking over also caused a lot of problems. Native American tribes suffered a lot as settlers moved west. Many times, settlers forced Native Americans off their land, which caused fights and broke treaties. The Trail of Tears, when the Cherokee Nation was forced from their homes, shows how tough Manifest Destiny was on Native people. This idea said these actions were part of a mission from God, which hid the real hard times Native Americans faced.
Manifest Destiny also made the United States more divided, especially over slavery. As new land was added, there were big arguments about whether it should be free or allow slavery. The Missouri Compromise in 1820 and the Compromise of 1850 tried to fix these arguments, but they just put off the problems. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which let new states choose about slavery, led to violent fights in “Bleeding Kansas.” These fights set up the Civil War, showing how different the country was.
Even though it caused a lot of fights, Manifest Destiny did have some good sides. It made people think America was special and could do big things. Heading west made new roads, better ways to talk, and more things to help people live there. When the Transcontinental Railroad was done in 1869, it joined the coasts and made it easier to trade and move around. And the Gold Rushes in California and other Western places brought more people to the country, making it more varied and full of different cultures.
In culture, Manifest Destiny was a big deal too. It made a lot of art, stories, and tales about the frontier. The West was a sign of what America was all about—people making it on their own and taking on new things. Writers like Walt Whitman and artists like Frederic Remington made images of the American West that still matter today. These ideas about the frontier, even if they were made to look better than they were, show how hard and good it was.
To sum up, Manifest Destiny was a big idea that changed America a lot. It said the country had to grow and take over, and that shaped how America looked and acted. It caused big land changes, hurt Native Americans, and made the country split over slavery. But it also made America stronger with new roads, new ways to live, and more cultures mixing together. Knowing about Manifest Destiny helps us see how America got to be what it is and what it still means today.
Concept and Impact of Manifest Destiny in American History. (2024, Jul 16). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/concept-and-impact-of-manifest-destiny-in-american-history/
