5.1 Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny shaped America's expansion in the mid-1800s. This belief that the U.S. was destined to spread across North America drove westward settlement, leading to conflicts with Native Americans and Mexico. It justified acquiring new territories and fueled American exceptionalism.

The concept had far-reaching effects on U.S. identity and policy. It spurred economic growth and technological advances but also led to displacement of indigenous peoples. Manifest Destiny's legacy of American superiority and expansionism continues to influence foreign relations today.

Manifest Destiny and American Expansion

Concept and Justification

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• Manifest Destiny was the 19th-century belief that American settlers were destined by God to expand across the North American continent
• The concept of Manifest Destiny was rooted in the idea of American exceptionalism, which held that the United States had a unique mission to spread democracy and civilization across the continent
• Manifest Destiny was used to justify American territorial expansion, including the acquisition of Texas, Oregon, and California in the 1840s
• The belief in Manifest Destiny contributed to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), which resulted in the annexation of vast territories in the American Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada)
• Manifest Destiny also fueled American interest in acquiring Cuba and other territories in the Caribbean and Central America

Impact on Foreign Policy and National Identity

• Manifest Destiny contributed to the development of a sense of American exceptionalism and the belief in the United States as a "city upon a hill" with a special mission to spread democracy and civilization
• The concept of Manifest Destiny was used to justify American interventions in foreign affairs, such as:
  • The Spanish-American War of 1898
  • The annexation of Puerto Rico and the Philippines
• The belief in Manifest Destiny also contributed to the development of American imperialism and the acquisition of overseas territories (Hawaii, Panama Canal Zone)
• The legacy of Manifest Destiny continues to shape American foreign policy and national identity, with some Americans viewing the United States as having a special role to play in world affairs
• Critics argue that Manifest Destiny has led to a disregard for the rights and sovereignty of other nations and has contributed to a sense of American arrogance and entitlement

Factors Driving Westward Expansion

Political and Economic Factors

• The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 doubled the size of the United States and opened up vast new territories for American settlement
• The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sparked a massive migration of settlers to the West Coast
• The development of new transportation technologies made it easier for settlers to move westward:
  • Steamboats
  • Railroads
• The Homestead Act of 1862 provided free land to settlers who were willing to live on and improve the land for at least five years
• The desire for new markets and resources drove many Americans to seek their fortunes in the West:
  • Timber
  • Minerals
  • Agricultural land

Social and Cultural Factors

• The belief in the superiority of American culture and institutions led many Americans to view westward expansion as a civilizing mission
• Manifest Destiny was rooted in the idea that God had ordained the United States to expand its territory and spread its values across the continent
• The concept of "rugged individualism" and the myth of the self-made man encouraged many Americans to strike out on their own and seek their fortunes in the West
• The desire to escape poverty, religious persecution, or political oppression in the East motivated many settlers to head westward
• The romanticization of the frontier lifestyle in popular culture (dime novels, Wild West shows) fueled the public's fascination with the American West

Manifest Destiny's Impact on Native Americans

Displacement and Destruction of Native Communities

• Westward expansion led to the displacement and destruction of many Native American communities, as settlers encroached on their lands and resources
• The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi River
  • The Trail of Tears, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee Indians, was one of the most notorious examples of the forced removal of Native Americans
• The expansion of American settlement in the West led to a series of wars and conflicts with Native American tribes:
  • Sioux
  • Apache
  • Comanche
• The destruction of the buffalo herds, which were a vital resource for many Plains Indian tribes, contributed to the decline and impoverishment of these communities

Control and Assimilation Efforts

• The reservation system was established as a means of controlling and assimilating Native American populations by confining them to specific areas of land
• The Dawes Act of 1887 aimed to break up tribal lands and encourage Native Americans to adopt European-American farming practices and cultural norms
• Boarding schools were established to educate Native American children in white American culture and values, often at the expense of their own cultural identities and traditions
• Many Native American tribes were forced to sign treaties that ceded large portions of their ancestral lands to the U.S. government in exchange for promises of protection and support
• The assimilation policies of the U.S. government had devastating effects on Native American cultures, languages, and ways of life

Manifest Destiny and American Identity

Exceptionalism and Expansionism

• Manifest Destiny was deeply intertwined with the idea of American exceptionalism - the belief that the United States had a unique destiny to spread its values and institutions across the continent
• The concept of Manifest Destiny was used to justify American expansionism and the acquisition of new territories, both on the North American continent and overseas
• The belief in the superiority of American culture and institutions led many Americans to view westward expansion as a civilizing mission to spread democracy and progress
• Manifest Destiny contributed to the development of a sense of national identity and pride in the United States as a rapidly growing and powerful nation
• The idea of the United States as a "city upon a hill" with a special mission to lead the world became a central theme in American political discourse

Criticisms and Controversies

• Critics argue that Manifest Destiny was used to justify the displacement and mistreatment of Native American populations, as well as the conquest of Mexican territories
• Some historians view Manifest Destiny as a form of cultural imperialism that disregarded the rights and sovereignty of other nations and peoples
• The belief in American exceptionalism has been criticized as a form of national arrogance and entitlement that ignores the complexities of international relations
• The legacy of Manifest Destiny has been controversial, with some Americans celebrating it as a key part of the nation's history and others viewing it as a shameful chapter of conquest and oppression
• The ongoing impact of Manifest Destiny on American foreign policy and national identity remains a subject of debate and discussion among scholars and the public