MANIFEST DESTINY ☠️
MANIFEST DESTINY was the 19th-century belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand across North America, spreading democracy and American values from the Atlantic to the Pacific, fueling westward migration, territorial acquisition (like the Oregon Territory and Mexican Cession), and conflict with Native Americans and Mexico, ultimately shaping American identity and imperialism but causing immense displacement and suffering for Indigenous peoples.
Core Beliefs & Context
Divine Mission: Americans believed they were destined by God to expand, bringing progress and civilization to the continent.
American Exceptionalism: Rooted in the idea that the U.S. was unique and superior, spreading republicanism.
Economic Opportunity: Driven by desires for land, resources, and new markets.
Key Events & Consequences
Louisiana Purchase (1803): Doubled the size of the U.S., laying groundwork for expansion.
Oregon Treaty (1846): Settled boundary with Britain, securing the Northwest.
Mexican-American War (1846-1848): Resulted in the massive Mexican Cession (including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico).
Gold Rushes & Homestead Acts: Attracted massive migration, accelerating settlement.
Impacts
Territorial Growth: Created the contiguous U.S..
Displacement of Native Americans: Led to broken treaties, forced removals (like the Trail of Tears), and destruction of cultures.
National Identity: Fostered a sense of national purpose and destiny but also racial tensions.
Imperialism: Marked the U.S.'s emergence as a continental, and later global, power. #Uhuru #sovereignty #rtyrwarriors
MANIFEST DESTINY was the 19th-century belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand across North America, spreading democracy and American values from the Atlantic to the Pacific, fueling westward migration, territorial acquisition (like the Oregon Territory and Mexican Cession), and conflict with Native Americans and Mexico, ultimately shaping American identity and imperialism but causing immense displacement and suffering for Indigenous peoples.
Core Beliefs & Context
Divine Mission: Americans believed they were destined by God to expand, bringing progress and civilization to the continent.
American Exceptionalism: Rooted in the idea that the U.S. was unique and superior, spreading republicanism.
Economic Opportunity: Driven by desires for land, resources, and new markets.
Key Events & Consequences
Louisiana Purchase (1803): Doubled the size of the U.S., laying groundwork for expansion.
Oregon Treaty (1846): Settled boundary with Britain, securing the Northwest.
Mexican-American War (1846-1848): Resulted in the massive Mexican Cession (including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico).
Gold Rushes & Homestead Acts: Attracted massive migration, accelerating settlement.
Impacts
Territorial Growth: Created the contiguous U.S..
Displacement of Native Americans: Led to broken treaties, forced removals (like the Trail of Tears), and destruction of cultures.
National Identity: Fostered a sense of national purpose and destiny but also racial tensions.
Imperialism: Marked the U.S.'s emergence as a continental, and later global, power. #Uhuru #sovereignty #rtyrwarriors
