Manifest Destiny
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Sam White
Manifest Destiny
From the time of the Puritans, Americans considered the U.S. to be a country with a divine mission. By the beginning of the 19th century, many began to express that it was “God’s Plan” to have America expand westward, past the Mississippi River, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. In the year 1845, John O’Sullivan, a Democratic newspaperman wrote that the most crucial requirement for our country was “the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” It was this mindset of many Americans, which acted as the foundation of foreign and domestic conflict and controversy in America for over 30 years. Ideologies such as the “Oregon Fever” and events such as the presidential election of 1844, the annexations of Texas and California, the Mexican-American War and the compromise of 1850 all played a significant role in the expansion of America.
By the 1830s, many Americans had begun to make the 6 month, 2,000 mile long trip along the Oregon Trail, ultimately crossing into the Oregon Territory. “Manifest Destiny”, which was the God-given right to migrate to the western territories, was used as justification and the main purpose for Americans traveling west. The mild climate and the possibility of fur trading enticed settlers of the Ohio Valley and gave many the “Oregon Fever” by the year 1842. The Native Americans of the Oregon region were sought out as well by missionaries in order to be Christianized. At the time, a section of Oregon was in the possession of the British, the other in the possession of America. “Fifty-four Forty or Fight”, which refers to the latitude coordinate of the desired boundary by many expansionists, became the slogan for those who wanted all of Oregon to be under American control, including James Polk. In the year of 1846, the expansionists obtained a majority of what they wanted through the signing of the Oregon...
Manifest Destiny
From the time of the Puritans, Americans considered the U.S. to be a country with a divine mission. By the beginning of the 19th century, many began to express that it was “God’s Plan” to have America expand westward, past the Mississippi River, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. In the year 1845, John O’Sullivan, a Democratic newspaperman wrote that the most crucial requirement for our country was “the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” It was this mindset of many Americans, which acted as the foundation of foreign and domestic conflict and controversy in America for over 30 years. Ideologies such as the “Oregon Fever” and events such as the presidential election of 1844, the annexations of Texas and California, the Mexican-American War and the compromise of 1850 all played a significant role in the expansion of America.
By the 1830s, many Americans had begun to make the 6 month, 2,000 mile long trip along the Oregon Trail, ultimately crossing into the Oregon Territory. “Manifest Destiny”, which was the God-given right to migrate to the western territories, was used as justification and the main purpose for Americans traveling west. The mild climate and the possibility of fur trading enticed settlers of the Ohio Valley and gave many the “Oregon Fever” by the year 1842. The Native Americans of the Oregon region were sought out as well by missionaries in order to be Christianized. At the time, a section of Oregon was in the possession of the British, the other in the possession of America. “Fifty-four Forty or Fight”, which refers to the latitude coordinate of the desired boundary by many expansionists, became the slogan for those who wanted all of Oregon to be under American control, including James Polk. In the year of 1846, the expansionists obtained a majority of what they wanted through the signing of the Oregon...