Manifest Destiny was a concept that drove America’s westward expansion in the 1800s, promoted through media and legislation like the Homestead Act. Coined by John O’Sullivan in 1845, it suggested America’s destiny was to expand and establish civilization. It influenced American thought and foreign policy.
Manifest Destiny was a concept that heavily influenced American politics in the 1800s. The idea was the driving force behind America’s rapid expansion into the West from the East, and it was heavily promoted in newspapers, posters, and other mediums. While Manifest Destiny was not itself official government policy, it led to the passage of legislation such as the Homestead Act, which encouraged westward settlement and territorial acquisition. It has also played an important role in American thought.
The term was first used in 1845 by John O’Sullivan, an American newspaper editor writing about the proposed annexation of Texas. O’Sullivan declared that it was “America’s manifest destiny to overextend the continent.” The editorial suggested that through expansion, the United States could become a recognized political and social superpower. Indeed, O’Sullivan argued, America had been chosen solely for the task of expanding westward, driving out the wilderness and establishing civilization.
The westward expansion of the United States, of course, did not begin with manifest destiny. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803, in which 23% of the existing territory of the United States was acquired, was probably the first major step. The government saw the appeal in acquiring more land, as well as the potential political power that large tracts of land could give to the young nation. As a result, an aggressive expansion policy was actively pursued. The idea of Manifest Destiny was simply a component that captured the popular imagination.
O’Sullivan’s Manifest Destiny editorial added fuel to the fire with a catchy line. Numerous government campaigns have portrayed the West’s appeal to potential settlers and promoted programs that could help people acquire and hold land in the West. With the discovery of gold and other precious minerals, a wave of Orientals began to pour into the West, buoyed by their belief in their right and duty to expand.
The Manifest Destiny idea was also behind American political actions abroad. Although the term ceased to be used in a political context in the early twentieth century, the far-reaching impact of Manifest Destiny was clear. A section of Manifest Destiny’s editorial reminded Americans that they were in a unique position to spread democracy around the world, and this concept clearly played a part in twentieth-century American foreign policy. Many historians use the term “manifest destiny” to refer to the period in American history that was marked by rapid expansion “from sea to shining sea” through the annexation of the western half of the continent.
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