Manifest Destiny Obstacles

“The Inconvenient Indian” speaks to a general audience and particularly to US and Canada. The book is organized into chapters and each chapter refers to a variety of themes. Some of these themes are history, culture, politics, and laws. By incorporating all these themes,

Live Indians were seen as problematic because they refused to die out and they were not wanted in society (61).

Manifest Destiny is America's expanding from east to west and whites believed this is what God ordained them to achieve. Along with Manifest Destiny many believed that slavery was a good thing and many disagreed. As we gained more territory and expanded into the west our country was divided over this conflict, whether added states should be free or slave states. Manifest Destiny heavily influenced our sectional conflict over slavery in politics and geography in the United States.

Some of the negative consequences of the Manifest Destiny was conflict with Mexico and more slavery in the new acquired territory. In the Mexican American war, there were two perspectives on that issue. The Mexican perspective is that America started the war because American troops were on Mexican land and the Mexicans thought the Americans would attack them so they started defending themselves (Doc B). The American perspective was complete opposite than the Mexicans and this conflict would remain between the two countries for many years. Following the Mexican American war was the California Gold Rush. The Gold Rush occurred from 1848-1855 (O.I.). Everyone would go out to California because there was abundant gold in that territory. However, people didn’t know what to expect. Many individuals became selfish and wanted to go out west to become rich. With all these people moving out westward, there needed to be a sense of order. Also, as people moved west, the Native Americans felt threatened of their land and always felt like the minority. (Doc F). With all the commotion westward, the Native Americans felt threatened. One reason being that with all the people westward, the transcontinental railroad was built to make transportation easier. This was a huge benefit in society however a very negative thing to the Native Americans. The transcontinental railroad caused many buffalo to die out which

Motives such as, Manifest Destiny, anger or retaliation, and the pursuit of expanded slavery and economic wealth.

The relationships between England and the other Europeans along with the Indians and Africans changed after the English Civil War. After King Charles, I sent those to America to colonize the first six colony’s in 1670 an indentured servant named Nathaniel Bacon and other indentured servants began killing the Doegs and Susquehannock when after their seven years of working was over they weren’t given their land. After the governor outlawed Bacon, in September of 1676 Bacon and his forces went to Jamestown and burned the capital to the ground. After that, the ties with the Indians began to change.

On the Trail of Tears worksheet Document B states, “We will never let our hold on this land go...to let it go it will be like throwing away…[Our] mother that gave [Us] birth”. (1) This explains that the U.S. was expanding so the natives were pushed out of their homes because of the new lands being farmed and the factories being built.

Manifest destiny was a term used to describe the belief that United States settlers were destined to expand across the nation. This concept not only affected American politics and government but the public also. One of the first major examples of manifest destiny in the nineteenth century was Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory. President Jefferson wanted to shrink the size of the government and only use limited powers. However, his decision utilized a tremendous amount of executive power, in which Federalists felt that he was wasting taxpayer money and abusing his authority. Eventually, Jefferson believed that what he was doing was right because it would double the size of the US for expansion. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 drove both the population and the economy to the west. Another example of manifest destiny in the United States was the Indian Removal Act by President Andrew Jackson, which authorized him to reserve land west of the Mississippi and exchange it for Native American land east of the Mississippi. Manifest destiny in the mid-nineteenth century affected politics and government by

Subsequent to the political, social, and economical changes that occurred because of the "Manifest Destiny", the lives of the Native Americans had been changed forever. " Manifest Destiny is a term for the attitude prevalent during the 19th century period of American expansion that the United States not only could, but was destined to, stretch from coast to coast." (Manifest Destiny). This attitude encouraged the United States to begin to build settlements westward, which resulted in the removal of Native Americans. It deprived them of their land, and in some ways, their independence; they were faced with inequality and were forced to fight with the Americans. "

“Last Thursday evening, I watched rather helplessly as nine Indians were thrashed and battered about by just as many men in blue and white”

Manifest Destiny is A term used in the 19th century to describe the early American settlers’ belief that expansion was unavoidable, and destined to happen. The idea led to settlers migrating westward with the notions that whatever acts they committed were justified. The belief that the circumstances warranted their behaviors. This mindset led to the Indian Removal Act, the Mexican-American War, the California Goldrush, and eventually the development of railroads across the continent which helped shape Americas revolution.

Manifest destiny was the idea that the US was destined to expand from sea to sea. This idea brought on a growing amount of land and a growing amount of freedoms. As seen in the picture, the angel is leading the way westward and shining the light of freedom. This idea of more land made the Americans hopeful that they would gain liberty and opportunity with the growing nation. The natives, slaves, and free blacks sought liberty themselves. Just like how the Americans sought freedoms William Apes stated that “ they want what I want” (Apes, GML 388). The idea of more liberty and freedom is what drove the Americans and the minorities during this time.

In a short history, American manifest destiny was a big mistake for Indian people in the past. The Indian people lived on the land before the Americans came. However, manifest destiny is the affliction Americans have that makes them believe God and took control all their land. For example, American settlers took their land and forced them into another uncomfortable place, less nature resource, and difficult to survive. Moreover, America settlers brought diseases into Indian tribes that made a lot of Indian people sick and dead. In addition, American settlers had a negative impact to the environment and natures resource such as more hunting and fishing that cost extinction, more cutting trees to build houses due to deforestation. In conclusion,

Manifest Destiny was a mindset that played a crucial role in the expansion of the United States, and if it had not been thought of, America would not be the way we know it today in regards to how big it is. In this essay, I will discuss how it helped shape America, how it began, how it would affect events that happened later on in American history as a result, and how it led to making America what it is today.

Manifest Destiny was “the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.” It was common belief, however, that Native Americans “stood in the way of progress,” so the United States Government pushed natives out of their land in order to expand. In the Johnny Cash song “As Long As Grass Shall Grow,” Cash sings, “he told the tribe these men they could trust... treaty signed... promised peace with USA and peace...forever,” this means that the United States started their relationship with this tribe as a beneficial and peaceful one, but eventually went on to betray this trust by building a dam, “this dam...flood Indian country...treaty broken,” the Native American land was destroyed by a dam that in some way benefited the US. In this song, Johnny Cash is explaining how the U.S. exploited the Natives by gaining their trust only to break it and destroy their land. While the United States gained something from this event, they lost their peace with the Native American tribe they exploited and misled. Similarly, The Cherokee Removal Through the Eyes of a Private Soldier by John G. Burnette is a firsthand account of the events and tragedies that happened during the Cherokee Removal Act, or Trail of Tears. Thousands of Cherokee Indians were forced to leave their homes to a reservation west of the Mississippi River in Oklahoma. This process killed many natives.