The Manifest Destiny: America's Most Selfish Victory
“The Manifest Destiny: America’s Greatest Yet Most Selfish Victory”
In 1776, America gained its independence from Great Britain. Sixty-five years later, imagine being a poor Southwestern farmer. You have no way to raise socially with your current overused land. You read in the newspaper of something called the Manifest Destiny, a strange phenomenon that could give you unlimited land. You immediately get the desire to move West. In the mid 1800s, many people wanted to and decided to move West during America’s Westward expansion or later dubbed the Manifest Destiny due to the new opportunities it would bring. The name of the “Manifest Destiny” was made by John O’Sullivan in his newspaper in the Democratic Review. The name took up speed when numerous …show more content…
The informal start of Westward Expansion began with the Louisiana Purchase from France. The Louisiana Purchase gave the United States over eight hundred thousand miles. Americans were thus able to move Westward. Napoleon of France offered Louisiana after he realized that conquering the West would not be a benefit to him at the time. After acquiring Louisiana, years later, America got Florida, another land that allowed for the Manifest Destiny. In the 1800s, Florida was under the control of Spain but as the country grew weaker, Spain signed the Adams-Onís Treaty which gave America Florida. After acquiring Louisiana and Florida, Americans began moving West and continued after they acquired Texas from Mexico. In the 1800s, Texas was just another part of Mexico yet the Mexican government allowed a certain number of Americans to populate the region as long as they followed the Mexican government. However, in 1836, the Americans in Texas fought back against the Mexican and became an independent republic. In the late 1830s, there was a lot of interparty wars over whether Texas should be permitted as a state or not as it was proslavery and abolitionists were against allowing Texas into the United States. However, in 1845, President Polk made Texas a state. Despite Texas being a state, Mexico and America had a border dispute resulting in the Mexican-American War. This war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which granted America many of current Western states. These states allowed America’s land to increase further and also granted greater Westward Expansion. Another piece of land that allowed for the Manifest Destiny was the Oregon Territory. The Oregon Territory was acquired from Britain. At first, President Polk, in order to win the vote of common folk promised to make a treaty with Britain to get all of the Oregon Territory to 54 degrees and 40 minutes to the
In 1776, America gained its independence from Great Britain. Sixty-five years later, imagine being a poor Southwestern farmer. You have no way to raise socially with your current overused land. You read in the newspaper of something called the Manifest Destiny, a strange phenomenon that could give you unlimited land. You immediately get the desire to move West. In the mid 1800s, many people wanted to and decided to move West during America’s Westward expansion or later dubbed the Manifest Destiny due to the new opportunities it would bring. The name of the “Manifest Destiny” was made by John O’Sullivan in his newspaper in the Democratic Review. The name took up speed when numerous …show more content…
The informal start of Westward Expansion began with the Louisiana Purchase from France. The Louisiana Purchase gave the United States over eight hundred thousand miles. Americans were thus able to move Westward. Napoleon of France offered Louisiana after he realized that conquering the West would not be a benefit to him at the time. After acquiring Louisiana, years later, America got Florida, another land that allowed for the Manifest Destiny. In the 1800s, Florida was under the control of Spain but as the country grew weaker, Spain signed the Adams-Onís Treaty which gave America Florida. After acquiring Louisiana and Florida, Americans began moving West and continued after they acquired Texas from Mexico. In the 1800s, Texas was just another part of Mexico yet the Mexican government allowed a certain number of Americans to populate the region as long as they followed the Mexican government. However, in 1836, the Americans in Texas fought back against the Mexican and became an independent republic. In the late 1830s, there was a lot of interparty wars over whether Texas should be permitted as a state or not as it was proslavery and abolitionists were against allowing Texas into the United States. However, in 1845, President Polk made Texas a state. Despite Texas being a state, Mexico and America had a border dispute resulting in the Mexican-American War. This war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which granted America many of current Western states. These states allowed America’s land to increase further and also granted greater Westward Expansion. Another piece of land that allowed for the Manifest Destiny was the Oregon Territory. The Oregon Territory was acquired from Britain. At first, President Polk, in order to win the vote of common folk promised to make a treaty with Britain to get all of the Oregon Territory to 54 degrees and 40 minutes to the