Westward Expansion: A Strategic Voyage Towards Progress and Prosperity Westward expansion is the significant push toward the west coast of North America that began in the 1810s. It was intensified by the belief in manifest destiny, federally issued Indian removal acts, and economic promise. The idea of land, financial opportunities, and personal beliefs helped the westward expansion of the US territory which negatively impacted groups of people. The US government was promoting Manifest Destiny and expanding across the continent. This was based on a belief that the nation's destiny was to spread westward and expand its territory. James K. Polk supported manifest destiny and believed that expanding territory meant protecting pioneers and settlers who moved west of the Rockies. ‘“It is my duty to assert and maintain by all constitutional means the right of the United States to that portion of our …show more content…
The world sees the peaceful triumphs of the hard work of our emigrants”’ (Document 7). This quote emphasizes the responsibility of the United States to safeguard and maintain authority over the land west of the Rocky Mountains. Additionally, it underscores how the global community is observing the achievements of the American settlers who have industriously established peaceful settlements in that region. The Homestead Act encouraged the settlement of the West since it offered 160 acres of land. ‘“After 5 years of land the homesteader could file for his patent by submitting proof of residency // Title could also be acquired after a 6-month residency and trivial improvements, provided the claimant paid the government $1.25 per acre. After the Civil War, union soldiers could deduct the time they served from the
Many Americans packed few belongings and headed west during the middle to the late nineteenth century. It was during this time period that the idea of manifest destiny became rooted in American customs and ideals. Manifest Destiny is the idea that supported and justified expansionist policies, it declared that expansion was both necessary and right. America’s expansionist attitudes were prominent during the debate over the territorial rights of the Oregon territory. America wanted to claim the Oregon territory as its own, but Great Britain would not allow that. Eventually the two nations came to an agreement and a compromise was reached, as seen in document B. The first major party of settlers that traveled to the west settled in Oregon.
...ver had the resources nor Polk's true imperialist nature. Polk's idea of "Manifest Destiny" was simply a way to rationalize the United States practice of imperialism in North America. Little of the land gained in the 19th century was given to the U.S.; most of it was taken using force and often violence. Financial compensation for the land was irrelevant considering the wars that took place to complete acquisition of the southwest. The motives of the United States government and President Polk were not only that of expansion. They had also wanted to gain new natural resources, land for agriculture, and the power that would be attained by the country's increased size. The country's belief in Polk's imperialistic form of expansion was the key to attaining a western seashore. The power gained by this expansion helped make America into a world powerhouse it is today.
Manifest Destiny was the idea that it was the United States’ destiny to take over all of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Most of the public was in favor of territorial expansion, though some politicians felt it contradicted the constitution.
To begin with, the need Americans felt to expand west caused the government to seek more geographical territory and “Expansion westward seemed perfectly natural to many Americans in the mid-nineteenth century.”. The Louisiana purchase was one of the first expansions that made a big impact on the United States and initiated this movement. Events such as the Texas annexation and the Oregon Treaty of 1846 were parts of Manifest Destiny. These events expanded the national territory and encouraged people to settle further west, north, and south. Many of the treaties signed became controversial, but the governments' priority was for the nation to grow in size and importance.
The “Manifest Destiny,” was the belief that the United States was destined to take occupation and possession of the entire continent. Its intention was to promote further territorial expansion spreading a common system of principles across every area between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the early United States. The concept of American expansion was not a new thought. Years ago, many Europeans had also shared a similar understanding, claiming a divine right to obtain new lands as their own to tame. “A Plea for Compromise” Robert C. Winthrop recalls, “Spain and Portugal, we all know, in the early part of the sixteenth century, laid claim to the jurisdiction of this whole northern continent of America” (Winthrop). However, Journalist John
The entire concept of Manifest Destiny was created by the New York journalist John. L. O’ Sullivan. It meant that America’s fate was to possess or expand across the entire North America; it was undeniable and just waiting to happen. This is the point where many people started traveling west. It is true that America did acquire much land from expanding, but at what cost did we obtain it? I believe that America did not have the proper incentives while fulfilling its “destiny” and its voracious citizens and leaders took advantage of Native Americans.
Manifest destiny is the idea that Americans had, and have, the inherent right to expand the United States from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. As we know, this eventually happened, but it took a lot of time, money, blood, and effort in order to achieve this divine goal. We take for granted the size and span of our country, when for a good part of the 19th century, we shared the land mass with Spanish Mexico. It’s important to understand what drove us to pursue this goal, and the struggles that we encountered in obtaining, exploring, and settling the land.
“By 1840 almost 7 million Americans had migrated westward in hopes of securing land and being prosperous” (Westward Expansion Facts. Westward Expansion Facts. N.p., n.d Web. 16 Sept. 2016). This movement is called Western Expansion. The movement brought new beginnings and hope to many northerners and southerners. Western expansion not only affected the lives of many Americans, but the Natives living on the land. Throughout the 1860s to 1890s, the movement West altered the lives of Native Americans forever. Settlers deconstructed the Native Americans land in the mindset to grow their economy. Americans attacked and killed large amounts of Natives for no reasonable reason. Also, in hopes to Americanize the natives, they taught and imposed their
The United States, as a young nation, had the desire to expand westward and become a true continental United States that stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Various factors, strategic and economic, contributed to the desire to expand westward. According to John O’Sullivan, as cited by Hestedt in Manifest Destiny 2004; "the U.S. had manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence to the free development of our yearly multiplying millions" (¶2). As Americans ventured westward to settle the frontier, their inherent superior beliefs, culture and the principles of democracy accompanied them. America’s ruthless ambition to fulfill its manifest destiny had a profound impact on the nation’s economy, social systems and foreign and domestic policies; westward expansion was a tumultuous period in American History that included periods of conflict with the Native Americans and Hispanics and increased in sectionalism that created the backdrop for the Civil War.
In order to understand manifest destiny one should come to an understanding of the origins of the term and what it meant to Americans. In the middle of the nineteen century Americans were eager to move west. They had wanted to see the span of the United States from the Atlantic Ocean to the pacific. Americans felt that open land meant opportunity and potential wealth. They also believed that America was destined to be a great nation and by moving west, they could share their unique form of government, and the freedom it represented. This concept of discovery was not new; Europeans had believed they had a right to claim their discovery, and thought of the new world as a wilderness waiting to be tamed. The Europeans however found out that this land was not empty, and was home to countless American Indians. Indians were people who hunted, farmed, and raised families on the land. These native residents disagreed with this claim, on their land, and viewed the land as theirs. In the beginning Americans had a different idea, “The whole continent of North America appears to be destined by divine providence, to be peopled by one nation, speaking one language, professing one general system of religious, and political principles, and accustomed to one general Tenor of social usages, and customs for the common happiness of them all, for their peace and prosperity, I believe it is indispensible that they should be associated in one federal union” (John Quincy Adams).
Westward expansion was a vital movement in the United States between the 1780s and 1860s. This brought many opportunities and difficulties to the nation. It brought opportunities and difficulties to the nation because it brought together many pro and anti-slavery people. Each state added to the expansion were either to prohibit slavery or not and it was up to the government to make it equal. There are about three important moments/events in this time period. These three are Manifest Destiny, Compromise of 1850 and bleeding Kansas. From early years the United States has been set on expanding west. Expanding westward would bring new commercial opportunities along with trade opportunities. It also brought upon war and tension amongst the states
In the mid-19th century, the West drew increasing numbers of American settlers despite the hardships of the journey and the difficult living conditions that waited them at their journey’s end. Thus Americans were immediately sized on the phrase “ Manifest Destiny”- believing that United State’s destiny is manifest, inevitable, to expand to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexican territory.
Since the early 1800s, the United States began a mission of westward expansion. Americans believed that they were entitled to North America, which brought upon Manifest Destiny. The concept of Manifest Destiny encouraged Americans to spread their civilization all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and even down into Mexico. Manifest Destiny was the starting point of the development of America in many different ways. Manifest Destiny brought about the rights of the people, therefore it influenced people to aspire for westward expansion.
U.S. population was growing up in a fast pace; thus, the union was expanding to more and more territories – either “by purchase or negotiation or as a result of war” (Allard par. 4). As O’Sullivan put it forward, “it was ‘manifest,’ or evident that the United States was destined by God to spread its rule across the continent” (Allard par. 6). Many people embraced the new idea and the mission to occupy new lands, often with “an optimistic faith in human nature and progress toward a better society and the achievement of great dreams” (Allard par. 8). They believed American society, culture, and political institutions are superior to other nations (Allard par. 8); therefore, they’re bringing enlightenment. In order to gain new territory and bring progress, a huge numbers of Indians had to be moved out. However, as Phil Allard notes, “it was also accepted by many” in the name of Manifest Destiny (par. 9).
Manifest Destiny was the driving force responsible for changing the face of American history. Manifest Destiny, described by Dictionary.com, is a policy of imperialistic expansion defended as necessary or benevolent. It is the 19th century doctrine that gave the right to the United States to expand through North America. In 1845, a democratic leader and influential editor by the name of John L. O'Sullivan gave the movement its name. In an attempt to explain America's “thirst” for expansion, and to present a defense for America's claim to new territories he wrote: