Manifest Destiny Essay

714 Words3 Pages
Manifest Destiny To some the basis of the Manifest Destiny Doctrine was the idea that America had a God given right over all land. It had a future that was destined by God to expand its borders, with no limit to area or country and a belief that it was God's will that Americans spread over the entire continent to control and populate the country as they see fit. Many expansionists conceived God as having the power to sustain and guide human destiny. The notion of Manifest Destiny had many components, each serving people in different ways. Manifest Destiny reflected both the prides that characterized American Nationalism in the mid-19th century, and the idealistic vision of social perfection through God and the church. Individually, the components created separate reasons to conquer new land. Together they exemplified America’s ideological need to dominate from pole to pole. `While some were driven by what they considered God's will, others saw Manifest Destiny as the American domination of North America from sea to sea. It was the way to extend American liberty to new areas. Northwest expansion started with the American fur trappers. In their search for new reserves of beaver, they created new trails and passages through the mountains. In doing so, they crossed new and fertile valleys of the far west. Their accounts of their travels publicized the newly found region of the west and aroused interest in people contemplating the possibilities. By the 1840's, expansion was at its highest. Manifest Destiny was the reason for the revived interest in territorial expansion. With a sense of mission, people were tempted by the boundless tracts and sparsely settled land lying just beyond the borders of their country. There was also the growing desire to develop trade with the Far East. Going west would eventually open new trade routes. Last but not least, there was a

More about Manifest Destiny Essay

Open Document