Westward Expansion Dbq Essay

The westward expansion, the pivotal period where the United States tracked down a policy of extension based off the “manifest destiny”; an ideology that Americans were destined to expand their nation across the lands. Those who were convinced that slavery was the main cause towards the events like the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War were not as correct; they were simply other issues besides that which concerned the expansion. Though the problems shown seem to reveal that slavery was an important value, but it could never be a valid reason for expansion no matter how the issues occur. Reverend William Ellery Channing mentioned in his letter to Henry Clay that annexing Texas to the United States would perpetuate slavery, he would continue

Thomas Hart Benton’s speech mentioned “Let the emigrants go on, and carry their rifles… Thirty thousand rifles on the Oregon will annihilate the Hudson Bay Company, drive them off our continent, quiet their Indians, and protect the American interests in all the vast regions…” (Doc. A). The territory became the center of attention for those who believed that it was the United States’ responsibility and right to claim it along with liberty across the North American continent. The United States’ claim came from the explorations Lewis and Clark had, it including the establishment of trading posts set up by companies, the land explored made it an assumption that the United States owns it. It was proposed that to extend its borders along parallel to the Pacific Ocean, so arguments occurred with Great Britain where they insisted that a northern border should be placed west from the Columbia River; neither side budged so they agreed to postpone the decision for an entire decade. As the decision remained, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 delineated borders near Canada but didn’t include the borders of the Oregon Territory. The next year (1943) increased the immigration on the Oregon Trail to the Territory which made the borders an issue. James Polk, a proud supporter of the Manifest Destiny had some

Thomas Corwin speaks out claiming and questioning what belongs to us, whatever is meets the need of the United States should be theirs, any issues with that can be fix by just leaving (Doc. E). Shortly after the Texan annexing and the Mexican-American war, many pro-slavery southerners sought to expand further south, meaning that more land would make slavery increase and grow. The Expansion involved the Caribbean and Central America; the expansionist’s dreams were aided by some of the countries there, though the American public condemn some actions by some of those countries. Now another controversy occurred in an attempt to mollify a proslavery wing, the opposite side wanted nothing of slavery to continue on. Usually filibusterers were ultimately a form that proved to be embarrassing to United States’ diplomatic actions despite the international detainments for the United States to gain more power, the United States expansion became hindered to some