Manifest Destiny Dbq Essay

In the 1890s some Americans were eager to expand. Post-Civil War the U.S. was going through a time where they thought that they were lagging behind other nations in terms of expansionism. America felt that they were lacking what they needed in order to become a powerhouse. Many Americans, like Theodore Roosevelt or Alfred Thayer Mahan, were imperialists who wanted to acquire land/territories for the U.S. The United States sought to find their identity as a nation in the world. American Identity to imperialists can be defined as patriotism, military power, and dominance/hegemony.  This was controversial because some Americans were anti-imperialists who did not believe in expansionism, but in defending the Constitution. This brought about both supporters and opponents of imperialism during the Spanish-American War.

The phrase “manifest destiny” suggested that expansion across the American continent was obvious, inevitable, and a divine right of the United States. Manifest destiny was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico. In 1845, John L. O’Sullivan, a New York newspaper editor, introduced the concept of “manifest destiny” in the July/August issue of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review, in an article titled, “Annexation.” The term described the very popular idea of the special role of the United States in overtaking the continent—the divine right and duty of white Americans to seize and settle the continent’s western territory, thus spreading Protestant, democratic values. Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845,

In 1845, the US annexed Texas from Mexico. This was because of the disputed territory and each country’s perspective on where the border is. The US believed that the Rio Grande was the border between Mexico and Texas but Mexico believed that the Nueces River was the border between Texas and Mexico. The Mexican American War started because American Soldiers, Zachary Taylor and Thornton were attacked in the territory north of the Rio Grande (O.I.). Prior to America receiving the land that was won from Mexico, America was on defense ready to make a treaty or start a war with Mexico for the land. Soldiers would guard between America and Mexico borders because that was undecided land. America’s point of view is that the Mexicans started the war because the soldiers were said to be attacked on American territory meaning that the Mexicans wanted to start conflict with America. (Doc A). Before the Mexican American War, Mexico wasn’t happy with America because the US had annexed Texas from Mexico.The annexation of Texas would let Great Britain know that America is expanding. America wanted to be viewed as politically and militarily superior (Doc C). Receiving Texas was the first step to America realizing their Manifest Destiny and wanting to increase their territory. Some citizens believed that the positives outcome of the Mexican American War was worth the

may recall this historic event as the "Mexican War", in Mexico it is referred to as "The U.S. Invasion." (Doc. 3). The U.S. troops led by Genreral Zachary Taylor did not have the rights to cross the border along the Nueces River and open fire against the Mexicans when the U.S. government knew the southern Texas area was clearly still being considered who's territory it is (Background). There was no clear establishment of the land being owned by the U.S. at the time. Even if they did think the land was owned by the U.S., they should have considered the Mexican perspective as they believed their border was marked by the Nueces River in contrast to the Rio Grande River (Background Map). The Mexican government ordered attacks on the U.S. only for their "defense" as any country would do if their land was being invaded. Also, Mexico saw Texas’s action to join the United States as a real big threat. The Mexican perspective is shown by Jesus Velasco-Marquez as he says,” The Annexation of Texas to the United States was inadmissible for both legal and security reasons.” (Doc. C). Nobody would want a very powerful and strong country right on their border. Mexico took Texas’s action as a “declaration of war” as it shows the U.S.' inconsideration and complete ignorance of the Mexican

When Texas was annexed in 1845 it began a time of increased tension between MExico and the United States. THis is mostly the fact that mexico refused to recognize texas as free or a state of the U.S. . Mexicans believed that texas was a province rebelling against the home country. THere

Manifest Destiny was more than just a phrase, and the ideology behind it helped justify the pivotal actions by the citizens of the United States in the development of America. Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was the mission of the Americans to expand and civilize in new parts from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific. Manifest Destiny was introduced in 1845 in a news article written by John O’Sullivan about the annexation of Texas. To the Americans, Manifest Destiny brought over a new chapter to the United States, and was used to justify many of the annexations and wars the country would later undergo. Places such as Texas, New Mexico, Oregon Country and California were all acquired partially due to the influence of the ideology. The justification for

Manifest Destiny was a widely held belief that the United States was destined to expand throughout the continent. John O. Sullivan offered the name “Manifest Destiny,” and he had a mindset of United States Annexing Mexico. People believed that with the help of Manifest Destiny, they can make the world a better place. Political tensions around slavery and race in the United States during the debate over war with Mexico became very important, as some thought with the annexation of Mexico, Slavery could be expanded.

During the 19th century of the American expansion the United States but was heading to stretch from coast to coast. But this attitude helped fuel western settlement, Native American removal and war with Mexico. The belief of the Manifest Destiny had numerous parts for many things, each was serving people in different ways. The Manifest Destiny was supported by many Americans. The components created separate reasons to overcome a new land. Manifest Destiny was used among the Americans in the 1840’s as a defense for U.S. territorial expansion. It was an idea that was taken to be true that God had destined that “the white man” to a godly mission of American movement and defeat in the name of Christianity and democracy. John O’Sullivan first initiated manifest destiny in America in 1845. He edited the annexation of Texas was published on 1845 edition of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review. in 1845 to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Country to the United States. And to give the name and description to the creed of victorious Americans. Though the next two decades of the nation needed more territory, so then began the enormous territory growth. The nation stretched. The

The phrase Manifest Destiny is a sort of controversial saying, they used it to justify that it was their god given right to move west. Extending the country from coast to coast was always an american dream since they became independent in 1776. Manifest Destiny was the cause of many bad things in american history. Most people think america is a country with no faults or problems, but that is just not true. Manifest Destiny affected america is a very negative way, america removed native Americans from their homes, Increased the spread of slavery, and added more tension between the north and the south.

The Mexican-American War or The United States Invasion as the Mexicans call it, helped add to the dream of Manifest Destiny which was the idea of the United States gaining all land on the American continent.

While Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion created conflict with foreign nations, including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and within the United States, it worked to unify the United States from 1830 to 1860 by strengthening the nation as a whole, creating economic opportunities for people from all different walks of life, and expanding the United States through the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of California from Mexico.

There are people today who think that the United States of America’s boundary was created by fate; however, much complexity was involved in the gaining of our country’s boundaries. Manifest Destiny comes from the desire that Americans had to expand their borders. Americans wanted a distinct expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The term “Manifest Destiny” originated when John L. Sullivan published an article on the annexation of Texas. O’Sullivan believed that the expansion of the United States would be beneficial and better our nation. The American settlers became very determined to expand their civilization across North America. The Second Great Awakening, the belief that God would bless the growth of the country, created another reason for Americans to want to expand. “The Democratic Review asserted that God had preordained expansion across the continent” (Greenberg, 15). Manifest Destiny has played a very important role in our country’s past, its present, and it will have a significant role on its future. “Without Manifest Destiny, the territorial expansion of the United States from a strip of Atlantic coast colonies to a continental empire in less than a -century would have been, literally, unthinkable” (Greenberg 2). If our country continues to expand its perimeter, the concept of Manifest Destiny will always play a role in history.

Industrialization of the United States was in full swing by the 1840s. Which evidenced that the continued expansion of the states was an issue and the idea of a Manifest Destiny was of major importance. John L. O’Sullivan once stated, “Our Manifest Destiny is to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions” (America: A Narrative History). The idea of a Manifest Destiny originated in the 1840s by the Anglo-Saxon Colonists to expand their ideal civilization and institutions across North America to become a super nation. There were conflicts during this expansion, but they only led to major successes that molded the states into the superior country it is today. The Manifest

Manifest destiny was used as an excuse for America claiming land it had never had any right to. Americans wanted to extend slavery and saw taking land from Mexico as a way to do so. President Polk set the perfect opportunity to get Mexicans to attack US soldiers, so he would have grounds for war. None of these were justified reasons for war, and only caused a larger rift to form within the nation. The United States’ unjustified decision to go to war with Mexico was a driving force in dividing the nation, ultimately leading to the Civil

While Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion created conflict with foreign nations, including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and within the United States, it worked to unify the United States from 1830 to 1860 by strengthening the nation as a whole, creating economic opportunities for people from all different walks of life, and expanding the United States through the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of California from Mexico.