Manifest Destiny

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Manifest Destiny took place in the US in the mid-1800. Manifest Destiny was used among the Americans in the 1840’s as a defense for U.S. territorial expansion. It is the presumption that God had destined the American people to at divine mission of American movement and conquest in the name of Christianity and democracy.

In order to understand manifest destiny we must first find its’ origin. John O’Sullivan first initiated manifest destiny into America in 1845. This New York editor wrote the phrase that captured this mood when he attempted to explain American’s thirst for westward expansion he wrote: the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly expanding millions.” There are two components that make up manifest destiny. One is the religious influence and the other is the need and desire for westward expansion. Manifest Destiny was based on the ideal that Americans had the divine right from God to expand its’ borders with no limit on area or country. For some it was the will of God for the expansionist to spread throughout the country to control and populate the country as they see fit.

It did not matter to the expansionist if people such as the Indians were living on that particular piece of land. The expansionist just saw it as they were doing God’s work. The expansionist pushed many Native Americans to also move westward to escape conflict with these so-called followers of God’s will...

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