Meaning of Manifest Destiny to Americans Essay Example

After the purchase the president sends an expedition team to analyze the area and the process took three years. The expedition aimed at bringing a deeper understanding of the new land in regard to the resources and the geography of the region before making any decisions about the process of settlement in the region. This evaluation would help them to understand what parts of the land could be used carry out which activities. The process took a significant time to ensure allocation of relevant information.

It is after the expedition process that the idea of manifest destiny came on board in around 1830s and 1840s.The United States was meant to expand across the continent and played a huge role in promoting further territorial extension, it acquired Texas in 1845 and 1846, the signing of Oregon treaty stopped the claims by the British to the Oregon territory. During the Mexican-American war 1848, Mexico gave part of the Southwest to the United States and in 1853; United States bought another land from Mexico. Some factors ensured there was a rapid migration of the settlers to the west one of the main factors was the Homestead Act passed in 1862 and provided the settlers be allocated 160 acres of land for free. Completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 was another factor, facilitated faster migration towards the west, and provided room for economic development. With economic development they could increase their production levels and ensure better livelihoods for their families and country growth.

To justify western expansion around the mid-nineteenth century, the United States used the whole ideology of the takeover effectively. One of the major ways that the concept

worked was through the idea that the United States was a chosen nation by God and had a right and freedom to expand its boarders westwards from coast to coast, which meant that it will give America more privileges for its leaders and occupants. Majority believed that expansion to the west would benefit the Indians and the people living in the newly acquired territories. The influence could be mainly through passing the American religious, cultural values and institutions to the new land. The belief of superiority among the Americans played a significant role towards employment of the takeover by the United States. There was objection by some of the people who thought that their just God would not allow the United States to evict them at the expense of the rights and the lives of many innocent people living in the region to be captured by the United States. America believed that they needed more space to accommodate the increasing population and could only be attained by westward expansion. Whether by mutual agreement or use of force, they just had to get it done.

The expansion could also make the United States stronger through their union because it could control more resources at different parts while at the same time catering for the increasing population in terms of space well. The expansion was possible through the land purchase though there were debates on what parts of the land could be free states and which to become the slave states. During the expansion process the encountered the Indians inhabiting the lands. The contact with the Indians brought some problems, and the congress moved swiftly and passed the

Indian Removal Act 1 1830, that was later signed by former president Andrew Jackson. The act provide for negotiations with the Indians to relocate them from their lands to the lands specifically meant for the Indians. Despite efforts by the United States to make the removal voluntary, there was objection among the Indians, and this led to forceful eviction which led to the deaths of many Indians during the whole process.

The Mexican –American war that occurred in between 1846-1848, was promoted by the manifest destiny notion. The war occurred after the capture of Texas in 1845.even after the Texas revolution; the Mexican Congress did not recognize the Texan independence, viewed it as rebellious and could be recaptured. After the invasion of Texas, Mexico broke ties with the United States leading to disputes between the twofootnoteRef:2. The Mexicans believed that Texas extended only to Nueces River while on the other hand the Texans believed that their territory extended to Rio Grande River. It created some form of revolt and each side started to put measures in place to ensure that their territory was safeguarded fully. The supremacy battle could go on and on because each faction felt important and wanted to prove a point. However the Mexicans and Native Americans were at a disadvantage considering the fact that they had fewer personnel and logistics at their disposal. 2: Merk, Frederick. 1995. Manifest destiny and mission in American history: a reinterpretation. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Univ. Press. Payan, Tony. 2006. The three U.S.-Mexico border wars : drugs, immigration, and Homeland Security. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Security International

This boarder dispute led to war between the Mexicans and the Americans after

the Mexican Calvary attacked the American unit of about seventy men in 1846 sent to spy on an area between two rivers .The attack led to the death of some of the American troops bringing hostility the two nations. Soon after the attack the United States president asked his country to declare war on MexicofootnoteRef:3 something that had been waited for a long time and was just a matter of time before hell broke lose. Despite the attacks by the Mexicans, many people especially those from the north did not believe it was a legitimate reason for the United States to start a war with Mexico. Some of the critics to the war included Abraham Lincoln, who believed that the war could increase the power of the slaves’ states. The war therefore faced mixed reaction from different people. Only those who thought the war would benefit them supported it. These were people who probably had selfish motives and persona glory that they wanted under their names or titles as achievements. 3: Horsman, Reginald. 1981. Race and manifest destiny the origins of American racial anglo- saxonism. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10314254

Considering the cause of the war, other avenues could be employed to solve the border issues between the United States and Mexico. Bearing in mind the number of deaths caused by the war, it was not necessary; since many innocent people were affected by the war in a great way and the manifest destiny could be blamed because of the above reasons that made the United States use all possible means to ensure that their quest for power and control is not derailed and being

in this situation made it difficult for the United States not to use force in acquiring new territories. The local population could also not just lay back and be oppressed and enslaved without putting a good fight or resistance. The manner that the war ends clearly shows that the American-Mexican war was unwarranted. After some time the war was officially ended in 1848 when Mexico and America made an agreement to the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Upon signing the treaty the Mexicans recognized Texas as independent. On the other hand, the Americans acquired land that included California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado Nevada, and Utah.

Up to date the manifest destiny continues to have a major impact on the United States history, on the Native Americans, and the Mexican Americans

Horsman, Reginald. 1981. Race and manifest destiny the origins of American racial anglo- saxonism. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10314254.
The major impact on the United States history lies in the ability to conquer new territories that led to the expansion of its size. The capture of other states by America shaped the politics of the United States especially at times that they were issues concerning the role of the United States in the new territories and the idea of slavery. The Mexican-Americans adopted the cultural and religious practices of the Americans that influence their lives to date, on the other hand, Native Americans, were subjected to different forms of slavery and deprivation of other rights that affect them to date. It is indeed clear that the whole process of manifest destiny affected the majority of the Native Americans to datefootnoteRef:4. Majority of the Native Americans continue to be

viewed in a negative way and form the majority of the lower social class positions due to the violation of their rights during that period of the takeover. It is a damage that has been well documented and will be remembered by past, present and future generations as a crime committed against them by their fellow human beings and continue to haunt them in their present lives.

In conclusion the invasion process took place mainly because of two main reasons, they include, the Americans viewing themselves as powerful and it was their mandate to expand westwards and spread their cultural practices to the western people. The United States also had the belief that they had a God given mandate to expand its borders to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing population. The above analysis also indicates that the United States of American could have used other methods to solve their numerous differences with the Mexicans and Native Americans rather than engaging in the war that caused massive destruction of property and the loss of lives and above all creation of a historic war that impacts negatively on the Native Americans up to now. Finally, due to the strong belief in the United States in manifest destiny it is plain to see that a united country decided to prove that they can conquer the world through incursion of foreign territory in order for them to satisfy their need for more space and resources regardless of the consequences that will befall them or the local population ,it is also clear that under all circumstances, westward expansion could have happened and the whole idea of a conquest could

not be ignored.

Bibliography

• Carlisle, Rodney P. 2007. Manifest destiny and the expansion of America. Santa Barbara, Calif. u.a.: ABC-CLIO.
• Horsman, Reginald. 1981. Race and manifest destiny the origins of American racial anglo- saxonism. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10314254.
• Kirkpatrick, Terry. 2012. Sixty miles of border: an American lawman battles drugs on the Mexican border. New York: Berkley Books.
• Longyear, Barry B. 1980. Manifest destiny. United States: iUniverse.
• Merk, Frederick. 1995. Manifest destiny and mission in American history: a reinterpretation. Cambridge,
• Mass: Harvard Univ. Press. Payan, Tony. 2006. The three U.S.-Mexico border wars : drugs, immigration, and Homeland Security. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Security International.