Abstract This paper carefully details the events that led up to the ManifestDestiny as well as the events proceeding it. It states facts by chronological order and commentary on the events of that time. It explains how that period in the United States was a period of Westward Expansion, when the United States expanded and gained independence from Great Britain.
From the Paper "On July 4, 1776, thirteen British colonies on the east coast of North America announced their independence from Great Britain. Those colonies included Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. Vermont joined the rebellion in 1777."
Tags:Manifest, Destiny, United, States, 1776, Great, Britain, Independence, colonies, revolution
Abstract This paper examines how the two most influential events that shaped American history and impacted a good portion of the globe were the advent of industrialization and the spread of "ManifestDestiny," especially in the late 18th century and throughout the years of the 19th century. It looks at how global industrialization or that associated with the rise, progression, and effect of industry on national governments and societies altered the face of many nations by eliminating the long-held system of agrarianism and replacing it with massive industrial growth. It also discusses how "ManifestDestiny", usually associated with American policy during the later years of the 19th century and well into the 20th century, allowed expansionism into many regions of the world through the idea that it was America's God-given right to possess and maintain all those societies that threatened American capitalism and its democratic systems.
From the Paper "In the years prior to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, two of the greatest social/political problems facing America and foreign nations were based on the continuing struggle between the poor and the wealthy classes and the existence of ?Manifest Destiny,? broadly defined as an ostensibly benevolent or necessary policy of imperialistic expansion. Domestically, America was burdened by a financial panic in the 1890's which upset the lives of the urban poor and made the wealthy even more prosperous. In the cities, people demanded democratic change in many areas, such as the twelve-hour work day, the dangerous conditions in American factories, the exploitation of immigrant laborers, corporate resistance to labor unions, political corruption in local and state governments, child labor laws, inadequate wages and most importantly the on-going concentration of wealth by such "Robber Barons" as J. P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts."
Abstract This paper looks at ?ManifestDestiny? , a reference to the inevitable expansion of the territorial boundaries of the United States westward to the Pacific Ocean and beyond. It discusses how the concept of ?ManifestDestiny? was frequently used by American expansionists to justify the U.S. annexation of Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, California, and later U.S. involvement in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Philippines. It provides an examination of the factors that influenced the expansion of the country westward during the 1840s and 1850s, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Outline
Introduction
Background and Overview
Immigration
Slavery
Improvements in Transportation
Innovations in Agriculture
Availability of Native American Land and Resources
California Gold Rush -- 1848
From the Paper "In the 40 years before the Civil War, the rate of urban growth was not confined to the East, but it was the most dramatic there; in fact, by 1860, more than a third of the people living in the Northeast were urban residents, compared with only 14 percent of westerners and 7 percent of southerners. "Although the majority of northerners still lived on farms or in small farm towns, the region was clearly urbanizing" (Nash & Jeffrey 2001:335). As a result, tens of thousands of people headed North seeking work in major metropolitan areas in factories of all sizes. At this point, cities of all sizes grew. ?The population of New York and Philadelphia doubled and tripled."
This paper discusses ManifestDestiny, the belief that the United States had a mission, divinely-inspired, to expand itself and its system of government to the Western frontier.
Abstract This paper explains that ManifestDestiny, which began with the New York journalist, John Louis O'Sullivan, in 1845, was held by the Democratic Republicans during the presidency of James Madison to provide a sense of mission to citizens by using the phrase to promote and justify territorial expansion across the North American continent. The author points out that another desire of the politicians and leaders was the acquisition of new lands because land represented potential wealth, income, freedom, and self-sufficiency. The paper stresses that, as the citizens of the United States spread westward, intense conflict developed with the Native Americans and with Mexicans in Texas; ManifestDestiny was one of the driving factors behind the Mexican-American War of 1846, which resulted in the loss of nearly half of Mexico's territory to the United States and the long-term destabilization of that country.
From the Paper "Because of economic difficulties in the United States in the 1840s, many young settlers started leaving America for the Oregon Territory. The journey was rough and difficult. Most of the people walked the 2000-mile journey. Only the pregnant women, the sick, and the elderly were allowed to ride in the wagons. There were many fights with the Native Americans along the route and the possession of land caused them to continue fighting once they arrived. During the westward expansion, the Native Americans were greatly affected and were in a constant struggle for survival. They competed with frontiersmen for the fur trade, for land with settlers moving to Oregon, and with the Mexicans farming in Texas. New settlers were encroaching on their native lands constantly and their way of life was being challenged."
Abstract This paper discusses the US concept of manifestdestiny and relates that the general perception of the concept is rather hard to determine. The paper points out that, at times, throughout the decades, the presidents of the United States have made use of this concept with little consideration of the initial meaning. The paper also points out that, in the beginning, the political environment in the U.S. was that the mission of the country was to promote the values of the American Revolution, freedom and liberty in the region. Today, however, the banner of manifestdestiny is used to justify the supremacy of the U.S. as it wages the war on terror throughout the world with the declared aim of making the world a safer place.
From the Paper "An interesting point related to the issue of manifest destiny is the actual use of the notion and its meaning for the collective mentality of a people. The idea that the United States has a mission above the worldly considerations of politics and foreign and internal affairs tends to motivate people for a cause. This could have been one of the reasons for which the notion was used throughout the conduct of foreign policy. In this sense, the Civil War represents an eloquent example."
Tags: supremacy, monroe doctrine, collective mentality, civil war, security council
Abstract This paper discusses how "manifestdestiny" was a term coined by President Polk to disguise his intentions of getting as much territory as he could. The author feels that President Polk goaded Mexico into a war that easily could have been avoided as the Americans saw that it was their right and necessity to keep expanding westward into Mexico's land and Spanish territory. This paper examines the events of the 1840s, when U.S. President James Polk wanted to purchase Mexican territories of California and New Mexico for annexing them to America. It shows that upon Mexico's refusal to sell that piece of land, the United States invaded Mexico, defeated it and forcibly occupied about half of the Mexican territory. The war, which started in 1846, ended with the defeat of Mexico and signing of a treaty at Guadeloupe Hidalgo in 1848. The paper shows how, according to the treaty, Mexico had to hand over Texas, New Mexico and California, thus being deprived of about one half of its own territory and a vast treasure of land and natural resources.
From the Paper "Looking back we see that the American greed for land did not subside with the conquest of Mexico. With the discovery of gold in and around California, Americans began to migrate [referred to as the Gold Rush in history], towards California. To speed up the migration process, the need of railroads was identified. President Franklin Pierce dispatched James Gadsden to Mexico to strike a deal for the purchase of those lands, which lay south of Gila River between the borders of the two nations. Because Mexico had still not overcome the effects of their defeat of 1848 and because the government there was in absolute need of money, it agreed to the sale of a huge triangle of land across southern Arizona and New Mexico at a total cost of $10 million. In history this deal is known as Gasden Purchase."
Tags: Guadeloupe, Hidalgo, Mexican, American, War, James, Polk
Abstract This is a paper that presents the concept of manifestdestiny as applicable to the new world and the justifications of its imperialistic actions.
An examination of the life of the American settlers in the early 1800s who followed the belief of the ManifestDestiny, believing that the exploration and conquest of the rest of the country was their divine right as American people.
Abstract This paper discusses the life of the settlers during this period who believed that it was their God-given right to settle America. It looks at how this attitude affected relationships with the Native Americans and the rest of the people living in the country at the time. It also examines the hardships they encountered and a glimpse at the life they lead.
Introduction
Effects of ManifestDestiny Annihilation of the Buffalo
Settlers and Native Americans
Moral Considerations
Religion and the Puritans
Alternatives for Change
Native Americans and Their Land
Personal Beliefs
Conclusion
From the Paper "There were both positive and negative effects of manifest destiny and the move westward. On the positive side, many of the ideals of the east were brought out to the west. Some of these included government, religion, culture, and democracy. These were good things that the settlers brought with them, and they became very important in founding colonies, cities, and towns in the west. Having more land also gave the United States more trading power with countries such as Asia, and the manufacturing that developed in the west made America more efficient and self-reliant. The settlers could obtain or make many goods that had previously been obtained only by trade with other countries (Manifest Destiny, 2003)."
Abstract This paper examines and reviews Merk Frederick's 1963 work, "ManifestDestiny and Mission in American History: A Reinterpretation." The paper describes Merk's explanation of expansionism throughout history and the examples that he gives as he informs readers that the U.S. expansionism was not some unique strategy that was only pursued by Americans. The paper also discusses the style of the book.
From the Paper "On pages 36-37 Merk lists the multitude of newspapers in 1845 that "were highly expansionist" and supported, indeed promoted, MD. Some elected officials were militantly aggressive; to wit, House member John S. Chipman from Michigan had his eye on conquering Canada. "Michigan alone would take Canada in ninety days," he bellowed. Even respected members of the intellectual community like Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Cullen Bryant got into the act, albeit Emerson's essay ("The Young American") was more along the lines of supporting expansion with an eye to protecting the natural world. On page 40 Merk notes that there were a variety of interpretations of MD that "differed widely" in how the nation should grow and what the strategy should be as to acquiring territory."
Abstract The most divisive issue in American politics during the late 18th-early 19th century was the idea of ManifestDestiny, or territorial expansion. ManifestDestiny was the idea that God had ordained that the American people spread from sea to shining sea, starting by annexing Texas or Oregon, or both. This paper examines the political views of this time pertaining to the policy and the events surrounding the annexation of territories.
From the Paper "The first Texas provisional government was formed at San Felipe de Austin on November 7, 1835. This counsel passed a declaration of support for the 1824 Mexican constitution, and appointed a governor and other officials. This counsel stopped short of declaring Texas independence. The first declaration of independence for modern Texas, by both Anglo-Texan settlers and local Tejanos, was signed in Goliad on December 20, 1835. The Declaration of Independence was enacted at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, effectively creating the Republic of Texas."
Abstract The paper discusses the Free Soil party platform that opposed the compromises being contemplated by northern congressmen to placate the demands of slave states for extending slavery in the free states. The paper then explains how the doctrine of nullification, the philosophy of manifestdestiny and the Fugitive Slave Law also contributed directly or indirectly to the start of the Civil War.
Outline:
The Free Soil Party Platform
The Doctrine of Nullification
ManifestDestiny The Fugitive Slave Law
From the Paper "When people discuss the split over slavery between the Southern and Northern states in the pre-Civil War decades, it is often assumed that the Northerners opposed the spread of slavery beyond the already existing 'slave states' of the South for moral reasons . The impression is not accurate. Many Northerners (including Lincoln) opposed slavery mainly because they feared that black slave labor might spread to the North and threaten the economic and political interest of free white farmers."
Abstract The paper takes a look at various phases in the westward movement in the US, including the initial forays in the west by fur-traders, land speculators and farmers, the Louisiana Purchase from the French, the Texas Annexation of 1845, the Mexican-American War of 1846-48 that resulted in the Mexican Cession of 1849 and extension of the US borders to the Californian coast and the Treaty of 1846 with the British for the Oregon territory. The paper also discusses the reasons for the westward expansion, including the underlying philosophy behind the movement called ManifestDestiny.
Outline:
ManifestDestiny The Initial Pioneers and Trail-blazers to the West
The Louisiana Purchase
Moving Further West
Conclusion
From the Paper "At the time of the signing of Treaty of Paris (1783), which formally ended the American Revolutionary War, the United States of America consisted of thirteen former British colonies concentrated in the east of the North American continent and hemmed in by the rugged Appalachian region to the west . Within a relatively short period, however, the newly formed country started to expand westward and by mid nineteenth century encompassed a huge mass of territory extending from the Atlantic coast right down to the Pacific coast in the west--transforming the United States of America into one of the biggest and most powerful nations in the world. This remarkable Westward Expansion is a fascinating story of adventurous 'mountain men,' pioneering farmers, diplomatic statesmanship, military conquest, and brutal subjugation of the Native Americans."
Tags: Louisiana, Purchase, Texas, Annexation, Mexican-American, War
Abstract This paper reviews the book "The Diplomacy of Annexation: Texas, Oregon and the Mexican War" by David M. Pletcher and explains why the book is considered by many to be one of the most pivotal works on American history. The author discusses Pletcher's theses on the annexation of Texas, the Mexican war and also the acquisition of Oregon. The paper also comments on Pletcher's views on racism and slavery that was present in the later half of the 1800s as well as his validation of the U.S' expansion efforts with regards to the ManifestDestiny. In closing, the paper praises Pletcher's attempt of explaining the complicated history of the U.S and also successfully drawing parallels between the past and the present.
Outline:
Introduction.
Territorial Expansion-Annexation of Texas
Takeover of Oregon
Racism
Southerners Seeking to Extend Slavery
ManifestDestiny Conclusion
From the Paper "To clear up some misconceptions about the state of Texas, Pletcher puts away the false, somewhat candy-coated notion that Texas was gained by the US as a result of diplomacy with Mexico. First, an important point is made in the book- while many falsely believe that President Polk was responsible for the annexation of Texas, Pletcher makes a point to indicate that in fact the Texas issue was already resolved by the time that Polk took office, having been completed by his predecessor, President Tyler, several days before Polk assumed the job of the presidency."
Abstract This paper compares the two periods of rule which helped shape California's unique cultural identity. The writer explains that aspects about both of the Mexican and American periods should be looked at when comparing the Mexican and early American periods in Californian history. These aspects include ManifestDestiny, Mission and Rancho culture, the Gold Rush, the railroad boom and the oil boom.
From the Paper "Missions were an essential part of California's history. Before Mexican independence, the Franciscan missions endeavored to convert the native peoples to Christianity. However, the missions were considered temporary, as once the Native Americans were culturally assimilated, the work of the Church would be finished. Therefore, the aim of the missions was to eventually redistribute the lands and even offer some of them to converted Native peoples. This process of Mission redistribution was called secularization. After Mexican independence, the push to secularize all missions was intensified. Unfortunately, the Native people were not given the land or resources they were promised. Although Native peoples were equally as persecuted under American rule, there is no similarity between the Missions in Mexican California with later American periods of Californian history. Under American rule, California was an entirely secular state and by then, the missions had all been secularized."
A personal polemic on the need for education to combat racism in America and the need to combat subconscious racism in American education with multicultural curricula.
Abstract The paper analyzes the causes of racism in America, and attributes present attitudes to the lingering presence of the ManifestDestiny doctrine which conquered the New World. The writer recounts her personal experiences as a black female, being exposed to unknowing forms of racism from teachers and an educational system which promote a subconsciously racist, Eurocentric agenda, one which does not recognize and celebrate ethnic diversity. The paper examines the dropout statistics, showing that the educational system best serves whites while discouraging other ethnicities. In conclusion, the writer feels that American schools must recognize student diversity so that social relations can expand beyond intolerance, myth and fear.
From the Paper "It has been my experience that racism in its unrecognized form occurs largely in the educational sphere. As a black female I became acutely aware of the educational gaps between white and non-white society at a tender young age. It was in the classroom that I got my first taste of institutionalized racism. My instructors never called any special attention to my race or cultural background. They never displayed any recognized racist attitudes. What the educational system did do was ignore the diversity that exists within it. It is in this way that schools perpetuate race division by teaching a "neutral" Anglo doctrine filled with the traditional white heroes. This history is rich in stories of cowboys killing savage Indians, of Texans "defending" their territory from Mexicans while it down plays the transgressions of slavery. This miseducation of minorities encourages the "denial of self and the refutation of history and culture that appear to mark . . .(minorities) . . . as outsiders" (Harris, 303). The curriculum in this sense was distorted to conform to an Eurocentric perspective. This method largely ignores the historical contributions of its colored citizens and "limit non-whites to roles as slaves, toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies and bucks; or deem them as impediments to the Manifest Destiny expansionism of the age" (Harris, 303). No thought is given to the other areas of the world past the point of white colonization. American society itself is a function of racism and lies imbedded in racist ideology. Only rarely do students hear or read of non-white people as active participants in history. It is this avoidance method that is the most dangerous type of racism. It denies that racism exists in the larger society."
