Throughout history there have been many wars, most of which, in some way or another, have had to do with expansion and the gain of land or territory. During the era of Manifest Destiny there were many reasons for expansion such as; better agricultural resources and other events that erupted exploitation and manipulation of the Indians and indigenous people. These show how the Manifest Destiny era expansions were similar to many other expansions before and after this era, however, the biggest difference is how, before, they would purchase land or legally obtain it, when after, the United States would go to war over land rather than legally buy it. Before Manifest Destiny, during colonial days, Britain established the Proclamation of 1763, …show more content…
Later in history, during the Manifest Destiny Era, a reason for expansion was better agricultural resources because having an ample amount of land would benefit the U.S. in many ways from the new nutrient rich soil. This new soil and land would also stimulate slavery because of the new natural resources this would create would also improve the economy and the half of the economy based on industry. This caused new products to be created and produced, from the new natural resources grown and taken from surrounding land. This is similar to the expansion past the Appalachian mountains, into the south. The prices of tobacco were dropping and slavery was starting to slowly die out because of the low prices. After expanding into the south, the new climate it had made it possible for the prosperous growth of cotton, making the demand for slaves sky rocket. As the northern states started into industrialization causing a higher demand in resources, such as cotton, the south continued in their agrarian society of farms running on slave …show more content…
Before being belittled and degraded completely, they would be kept around until they were proven to be no more use to the settlers in their native land. During Manifest Destiny, the Lakota Sioux were very well-known for their selling and trading of buffalo hides to the American Fur Company and Missouri Fur Company. The United States used the buffalo to control them by killing them off when needed. Also, after the migration west from the Gold Rush of 1849, settlers would harass and murder Mexicans and Indians for their land. Before Manifest Destiny, the Cherokee challenged the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to the Supreme Court. Despite their low success rate the Cherokee won the case and were allowed to stay on their land. Then, however, the Treaty of New Echota with minor fraction of Cherokee people, forcing the entire tribe to go on the “Trail of Tears”. This granted the United States of America the land previously held by the Cherokee
However, because I believe that Manifest Destiny was not justified, the more dominant arguments are the land that was obtained by the United States using Manifest Destiny was not fairly acquired. According to the Signs of Opposition, “By sending U.S. troops to the Rio Grande, they argued, Polk had bullied a weaker neighbor into committing an act of aggression.” This quote is explaining how the United States acquired Texas. Polk’s method of getting Texas was unethical because not only were hundreds of innocent people killed, but the United States bullied Mexico into firing on them. It was an unjust way to secure their hold on Texas.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the treatment towards the American Indians from the beginning of the settlers’ history proved abusive power is inhumane, vicious, and cruel. According to the book Cherokee Nation v. Georgia by Victoria Sherrow, when the settlers first arrived and became a more established society, they passed treaties with the American Indians. These treaties allowed the American Indians to keep their own lands, and to stay an independent nation. However, as the years passed, the United States broke these treaties. For example, Georgia refused to respect the treaties and the American Indians as an independent nation.
Americans believed that god predestined them to expand from coast to coast in the concept of Manifest Destiny. The increase in mining precious metals, building of a transcontinental railroad, cattle herding, and farming the Great Plains helped the US not only to reach their goals of expanding from sea to shining sea, but it also had the ideals that our Founding Fathers always wanted. America’s Western Expansion started from all the sightings of gold and other precious metals in the west. From the gold rush, people were settling west so that they can strike rich from all the precious metals that was there. Not only that, instead of using animals to travel a long way from their homes, the invention of railroads made travel easier, faster, and
Manifest Destiny was the ideology, which held that the United States was destined to expand from coast to coast on the North American continent. Manifest Destiny was a substantial factor in the expansion of the United States and its conflicts with Native American’s over land. The advancement West was also propelled by the end of the Civil War, the Homestead Act, wagon trails, and the discovery of gold and other non-precious metals. By the mid-1700s Native Americans leave their farms to lead a nomadic life roaming the Great Plains hunting buffalo on horseback.
In fact, they wanted the land they had, as they were settled in large areas art of the Us Terriortiry. President Andrew Jackson urges Congress to pass the Indian Removal Act, until it was finally passed in 1812, Despite their efforts to become as white men as possible the Whites ill wanted the Native Americans out of their lands. Yes, the whites were a selfish brutal bunch who did not want to live wior mix with ther races but this forceful behavior brought them to where they are today so it’s actually bitter swee. The Whites eventually achieved their gosl of relocating the Natives,however, the CHerokeess put up a stronger fight onto the Americans Above all pros, the American’s Manifest Destinh was greatly affected by the Trail of Tears.
Manifest Destiny is a unique, yet mysterious fundamental series of events in American history. No other country’s history contains such an eventful history as the United States. Amy Greenberg’s book, Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion, provides documented evidence that settlers believed they were destined for expansion throughout the continent. In other words, many religious settlers believed that it was a call from God for the United States to expand west. On the other hand, people believed that Manifest Destiny vindicated the war against Mexico.
It was the start of a new era in America and the thought of more land in the west caused many people to take up their belongings and head over. This was the beginning of the Westward Expansion. The people that moved over had different incentives on why they wanted to move across America. The main purpose that many sought was to gain cheap and bountiful land. However, the whole ordeal was not just fine and dandy.
Colonists used Manifest Destiny as their justification to do whatever they needed to expand and explore all of North
At the beginning of the 19th, the United States was looking for an expansion of land. The white settlers wanted the lands used by the Indians for their own economic gain. By 1830, President Jackson issued the Indian Removal Act; allowing state officials to override federal protection of Native Americans. Most Indian tribes left their homelands in Georgia during the early 1830s. However, the Cherokees remained.
During this time Manifest Destiny was commonly referred to as Continentalism although the United States looked to expand west rather north into Canada. During the 1840’s the United States found itself in conflict with the British and the Mexicans over occupation of the Oregon and Texas territories, respectively. The conflict with the British would end peacefully, with a divide of the Oregon territory along the forty-ninth parralel. This was beneficial to the United States who already knew they were going to war with Mexico over their annexation of the Texas territory. During this war with Mexico the United States would see a great deal of success which would lead to many Americans, primarily politicians, promoting the idea of annexing all of Mexico rather than just the portion known as Texas.
Manifest destiny also affected the relationship with Mexico. Several factors led to the Mexican- American War in 1846. The factors were that the U.S citizens were moving into California and Mexico. Since there were many revolutions happening in Mexico throughout this time period the Mexican government was not able to protect the U.S citizens in this region. Another factor was that Mexico was upset that Texas declared independence from them and then the U. S annexed Texas in 1845.
In the 19th century, America was growing more rapidly than it had in the past. Cities were multiplying in size wealthy places and the slums. From the popularity of cities to rural areas the need for land was high. Only so many people grasping for land meant someone had to go either the Natives or the Americans had to to do what they could with their own land. A philosophy of Manifest Destiny was brought forth but with a catch that expansionism could be seen as imperialism instead.
That is just one of many reasons there was Westward Expansion. Overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. These are three of many reasons why Americans in the 1800’s felt urged to move west. Some may claim that Westward expansion was not right for America to do because of the conflicts that were aroused afterward.
How did the United States expand over the years and why? The expansion of the United States was a vital part of America’s history and greatly affects how we live today. America's early days only started in 13 states and then progressively grew to 50 states in total. The time throughout the 1800’s and what happened throughout that time greatly impacted how America expanded land, resources, opportunity, trade, and money. Two of many main causes that evoked American expansion was the amount of opportunity that America could take, the idea of Manifest destiny, and the amount of power that the US had on other countries.
Manifest Destiny was the term used by John O’Sullivan to describe America’s desire to expand West due to reasons including both the vast amount of unclaimed land and the opportunities Americans wanted to explore. During this time, Americans believed that it was their God-given right to expand West, and therefore they were entitled to push away any groups that were in their way. Due to the mindset that the Americans could do as they pleased with the groups of people who got in their way, Manifest Destiny affected many groups of people, including the American Indians and Slaves, and continued to build up the preexisting tension between the North and South. One of the groups of people affected greatly by Manifest Destiny were the Native Americans. Manifest Destiny affected the American Indians by spreading foreign diseases to them as they moved Westward, through the Native American territory.