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Manifest Destiny Dbq

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Manifest destiny was the idea that the citizens of the United States had a God-given right to extend their way of life from the Atlantic to the Pacific and that no physical barrier or human force could stop the settlement of these lands. This idea became a prevalent thought in the minds of many United States citizens. The expansion into new territories across the continent was a direct link in the chain of events leading to the Civil War. Each time new territory was acquired by the United States, the troublesome question of slavery was raised. Many people in the anti-slavery faction of the North and West persisted in thinking that slavery in the territories would result in the economic superiority of the South and the demise of free enterprise. …show more content…

After the Declaration of Independence, state laws in the thirteen states stipulated that only white men with considerable property or those who paid high taxes were allowed to vote. These laws were still in effect after the War of 1812. Between 1816 and 1821, six new states that allowed all white men to vote without regard for property qualifications were admitted to the Union. With the addition of these new states, the eastern and southern states began to relax their voting restrictions; many men who had never shown an interest in politics began to participate in the elective process. For the first time, the "common" man had the opportunity of electing people to office who would encourage the federal government to adopt policies primarily beneficial to his sectional …show more content…

In the years preceding the war, a new wave of immigrants came to the United States fleeing the potato famine of 1845 and 1846 in Ireland. A few of the immigrants remained in the Southern entry ports of Charleston and New Orleans. However, the majority swelled the numbers in the Northern cities where they found work in the factories. By 1857, the number of factory workers had risen to 1.2 million, and the industrial labor force had risen to almost 1 million people working an average of sixty-eight to seventy-two hours a week. City workers developed machines and products to make their lives easier. Charles Goodyear's vulcanized rubber was patented in 1844 and was used for boots and shoes. Elias Howe's sewing machine was patented in 1846. The telegraph was patented by Samuel Morse in 1862 and increased intercontinental communications. These inventions are examples of some of the machines and products of the

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