Manifest Destiny: The Effects of Westward Expansion
3.797 million miles. That is the area of the United States of America. Within two years, from 1846 too 1848, more than one million square miles of territory was gained by the US. This time of immense growth was called Manifest Destiny. This term was first used by John L. Sullivan and was the idea that Americans had the God given right to govern the USA. After reading the articles from "Manifest Destiny: LDC" (Source 1), "Manifest Destiny: Did the Benefits Outweigh the Negative Consequences", (Source 2) Humboldt State University's Department of History and pbs.org, it is clear to see that Manifest Destiny changed the US greatly. First, during this time, the population growth was tremendous
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In addition, environmental degradation occurred and trees and buffalo were killed without expense.
To begin with, Manifest Destiny causes great population growth. Immigrants moved from foreign countries to the United States in search of gold and a plethora of other resources. For example, source 1 states, "...brought a great opportunity for the United States in terms of resources, population expansion and trade. They census data fro 1830 and 1840 show a staggeringly rapid population increase of 32.71%," (Source 1, par. 8) This occurred because travelers from other countries, such as China and Mexico for example, moved to the West Coast. They wanted to start a new life and obtain economic prosperity as well. New land was found and people wanted to settle in the vast acreage. Immigrants wanted to find wealth and desired a better life. Furthermore, immigration was at an all time high because of the fertile soil and the promising economic opportunity. According to pbs.org,"….agriculture provided the primary economic structure, large families to walk the farms were an asset. The US population grew
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Buffaloes and trees were killed and nature in the West Coast was not at all preserved. Frank H. Mayer, a buffalo hunter in the late 1800s, proclaimed, "A couple years before, it was nothing to see 5,000, 10,000 [buffaloes] in a day's ride. Now, if I saw 50, I was lucky. Presently all I saw was rotting red carcasses or bleaching white bones, we had killed the golden goose,"(Source 2, Document F) Mayer clearly expresses that every day, less buffalo were alive. They were being killed with every passing day and as a result, conflicts with Native Americas arose. The buffalo population came close to depletion and the Natives were anything but pleased. Great numbers of buffalo were killed for their hides being sold for profit. Moreover, trees and plants were cleared away for space and construction, killing the living things. Humboldt State University's Department of US History says," Deforestation and soil erosion was widespread due to needs for wood as fuel, clearing lands for agriculture and housing rivers," (users.humboldt.edu) Before the Westward Expansion, grass grew and trees reached the skies, but as people moved in, so did houses and other structures. The new residents of the area took over the vast, plentiful land that the Natives worked so hard to grow and tend. Their hearts ached as the men cut down trees by tree years of growth being chopped off without
During the 19th century, the people of the United States of America had a belief that they had a justifiable right to expand its territory; otherwise known as manifest destiny. This belief of inevitable conquering land in North America led to conflicts with the indigenous people already occupying the land. One of the conflicts the Americans had with the indigenous people of North America was the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) in which Mexico fought for their territory that the Americans thought was rightfully theirs in the attempt to expand west. There may be several reasons to the cause of the Mexican-American war, however, the two major causes of the war were consequences resulting from the Texas War of Independence and the American’s desire
There were many negative and positive aspects to Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the idea that the United States was meant to expand from the East Coast to the West Coast. Many people agreed with this idea when John L. O’ Sullivan first used it in his essay, “Annexation in Democratic Review.” Although many people disagreed with this motive, causing it to be quite a controversial subject. One positive effect of Manifest Destiny was the discovery of new land, plants, and animals.
The American Revolution was the first of its kind. It opened the ways an oppressed country could be liberated through sacrifice and dedication. It’s message inspired other oppressed groups to revolt, no matter how bad the odds, such as the Mexican and Haitian Revolutions. They all reinforced the ideas that the spirit of the people and of the oppressed could overcome all odds, whether its economic might, military might, or any other invisible strength. In Texas, American colonists also felt that they were oppressed by Santa Anna and the Mexican government.
This expansion would not only demonstrate the ability that the United States had to control North America but also lead to a defining event in United States history, the Civil War. The westward expansion between the years 1789 and 1815 was some of the most influential expansion in American History because of what can be considered an identity crisis the United States was going through as such a young country. The expansion into these areas shed light onto the issues being faced by the people and states of the United States as they continued grow and define themselves. The impact would define a country set the United States on the path to become the world power it is
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.
During the 1840, the United States was able to access much more land in the west than previously before. The United States saw this as an opportunity to expand their territories and to settle and obtain all things the land has to offer. The United States justified their actions through the idea of Manifest Destiny, which they viewed to be a harmless and benevolent philosophy. Manifest Destiny was in fact not as benign as the United States has come to believe; it caused the colonization and imperialism of land that held many Natives who were eventually killed or sent into reservations. People in the southern region of the conquered land were greatly influenced by this expansion as well; it caused many families who were living in the Texas area
Manifest Destiny was a positive force in American History. Because of Manifest Destiny, American settlers were able to travel to the more Western parts of our country like Texas. A lot of events took place in Texas which also helped us build our country throughout history. One of the main reasons why Manifest destiny was very important to our American history is because of its political effect. When Americans started to travel Westward, they had come across Texas, which was near Mexico.
The benefits of the Manifest Destiny outweighed the consequences. This is because the U.S was able to get more resources, increase population in the west, advance trade, and improve technology. These benefits have contributed to the economic development in the U.S. Furthermore, as the U.S were fulfilling the Manifest Destiny, they also imposed the Homestead Act, which helped evolve frontiers. The discovery of gold in the west, specifically, in California lured more people to the west.
Manifest Destiny changed the United States socially, economically and politically. It was affected socially because it became more culturally diffused; it also affected relationship with the Native Americans due to the Americans belief that they were the better race and others were inferior to them. It was affected economically because there was more land to profit off of and politically it damaged the United States and Mexico’s foreign relations. Those who believed in the manifest destiny forcefully removed Native Americans from their lands in order for the United States to gain more land. America was shifted politically, due to new tense relations with Mexico, as an effect of the Mexican
The time of Manifest Destiny was a time of true American brotherhood and comradeship. With Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk being the leading presidents of the cause during this time, it not only led to continental expansion but homicide as well. While the Americans believed they were expanding into free land, Native Americans had already settled the land centuries earlier. This led to the dark side of Manifest Destiny. Native Americans were forced to pick up their homes and resettle in areas that were less than sufficient to meet their basic needs.
For some, it was destiny to move west. Although there were many conflicts and disagreements between ourselves and others, it was destiny to move west because of overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities. In the 19th Century, overpopulation was one of the major reasons for Westward Expansion. Immigrants were flooding into America for new opportunities and new ways of life and there was just not enough land to suffice the needs for all of the people. These immigrants were arriving in America in the port cities on the East Coast.
During the year leading up the war with mexico the united states used major disputes and reasons for going to war being manifest destiny, Rio grande boundary dispute, and slidell 's mission. Manifest Destiny was the word used throughout the 1840s which is the belief that Americans had the right and the duty, to expand westward across the North American, from the Ocean to Ocean. In order to have this destiny, Americans would have to go to war with Mexico. so in 1844, James K. Polk who won the election, He and the Democrats went with Manifest Destiny, a concept that stated that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent and get as much land as possible. In Polk prestindestce he promised in his four step plan to get land westward and he did getting california and oregon.
The Westward Expansion consisted of almost 7 million Americans migrating west, hoping to get land and be wealthy. It is often called Manifest Destiny, because many people believed settlers was intended to expand the west. Because so many people thought this way it was also thought the U.S was physically separated from Europe. This migration of people included people from Spain, France, Mexico, and other countries. The Western Expansion had a part in the foreign policies in the expansion towards the pacific and the way the U.S treated their relationship with other
The citizens of the United States felt they had the best form of government and culture and felt the obligation to expand it across the nation. Manifest Destiny had both positive and negative effects on social and political values during this time. Americans felt because they were experiencing such growth that God was blessing them and that by incorporating others into their culture they would be blessed too. However, greed eventually took over and the belief that the white man could destroy anyone or anything that got in the way of its progress led to many wars and lives lost over the acquisition of much needed land.
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.