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Pros And Cons Of Manifest Destiny

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List of Pros of Manifest Destiny
1. There was territorial expansion.
Generally, expansions mean improvement and progress. Proponents of the movement said that with Manifest Destiny, America became what it is today, one of the most powerful countries in the world. When our forefathers followed what was destined for America, the U.S. was able to acquire more properties as well as gold. This also made it possible for more immigrants to have chance to start new lives. Without this phenomenon, none of this will happen.
2. It brought more land for farming and improvement.
Those who were in favor of the movement said that with more land area acquired, there were more agriculture land made available which was good for the economy and for supply of …show more content…

By acquiring lands from other places and even other countries, like Alaska which was bought from Russia, there will be more routes for trade and barter. Also, those who want to live somewhere else for economic purposes and greener pasture were given the opportunity to do so.
4. As it doubled the land area of the U.S., it also increased goods, services and wealth.
Some advocates said that not only did the movement increase the size of the country, expanding to other countries and not just states, but it also added to farm lands needed to produce products and poultry. Moreover, with the territorial expansion not only in Asia but also in Europe, more ports for trade were opened and all these added to the reserves of the country, thus, it brought about more wealth. The gold rush of 1849 is one of the significant events in American history and this happened within the period where Manifest Destiny evolved.
5. It paved the way for Americans to share their …show more content…

It brought about war and conflict.
Opponents of Manifest Destiny argued that this philosophy resulted to war between countries and even the civil war. As early as 1822, the U.S. was already in conflict with Great Britain over the division of Oregon. It also gave a reason for the U.S. to start a war with Mexico and Spain. These are not the only conflicts that took place. Critics also said that it had other names and one was imperialism which led to the taking over of the United States on other countries like Guam, Philippines and Puerto Rico.
2. It was a time of slavery.
One of the drawbacks of U.S. territorial expansion was the proliferation of slavery. Although the Americans made a promise that they will not be taking the land of other people, like the Native Americans, without their consent and other than through peaceful means, history showed that this did not really happen. Slavery of the Native Americans was at its peak during this time and many were killed and displaced during the so-called expansion. And although there were those who submitted themselves freely and perhaps from fear, there were also those who overtly showed defiance, which led to more bloodshed and

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