Many Americans believe that God give them the power and duty to expand territory, strengthen the United States. The motivation of United States launched this war is a debatable subject. The origin and influence The term Manifest Destiny was popular in the 19th century, some Americans believed they had the destiny to expand American continent Territory, from the Atlantic coast to Pacific Ocean. The ideal of territory expansion is already had before the American Independence, but in 1845, The United States Magazine and Democratic Review editor John O'Sullivan published an essay “Annexation”. “…our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions”[2] This essay reveal John O'Sullivan claim United States had a destiny expansion .
Manifest Destiny was the belief widely held by Americans in the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. Manifest destiny provided the dogma and tone for the largest acquisition of U.S. territory. It was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico and it was also used to acquire portions of Oregon from the British Empire. But Manifest Destiny always limped along because of its internal limitations and the issue of slavery, says Merk, and never became a national priority. By 1843 John Quincy Adams, a major supporter, had changed his mind and repudiated Manifest Destiny because it meant the expansion of slavery in Texas.
Battle of San Jacinto The battle of San Jacinto was a major turning point in Texas history because Santa Anna’s defeat ended the Texas Revolution, Texas gained its independence form Mexico, and it later led to the annexation of Texas to the United States. In early 1835, Mexican president Santa Anna began centralizing power and operating as a dictatorship that is why Texas wanted to gain its independence from Mexico because Texas wanted more freedom, they wanted to be there own state that is why Texans had to defeat Santa Anna in order to become and independent state and to have freedom. That is how the Texas Revolution began Texas did not want to be under the control of a dictator that is why many battles were fought during the Texas Revolution which led to the last battle of the Texas Revolution which was known as the Battle of San Jacinto. Since the Battle of San Jacinto was the last battle the only remaining Texan troops were retreating with Sam Houston, then after learning that Santa Anna had divided his forces Houston got and idea. He thought it was the right time to attack and defeat Santa Anna because the Mexican troops did not expect it.
This expansion, pushed by economic desires and feelings of American cultural superiority, led directly to the emergence of the divisive issue of slavery as the dominant issue in national politics.” Polk’s deliberate expansion on antislavery grounds reopened the issue of slavery in the territories. Northern Whig congressmen voted for military appropriation despite the misgivings they encountered. The door to sectional controversy was opened over the issue of expansion. David Wilmot, Democratic congressmen from Pennsylvania, proposed an amendment to a military appropriations bill in August 1846 during the time of the Mexican-American War. This bill suggested that slavery be banned in all territories acquired from Mexico.
Although the principle of Manifest Destiny was to strengthen the nation, it indirectly led to its breaking point by a symbol known as the Civil War. The ideas behind expansionism, land acquired after the Mexican War, and the rising conflicts surrounding slavery all contributed to the division of the nation. In 1845, an editor with a known voice and a democratic leader by the name of John L O' Sullivan gave birth to the term Manifest Destiny. He declared it was America's divine or "Principle-given" right to expand over the entire continent for the purposes of fulfilling America's "mission." This mission included not only gaining land but also pushing forward the freedoms of mankind.
He pushed for independence which resulted in the Missouri Compromise. He was best know for promoting several major compromises for the freedom of slaves. He ran for presidency against Adams and lost. But in 1820 Adams elected him as his Secretary of State. Henry Clay died on June 29, 1852 in Washington D.C. Robert Young Hayne was born November 10, 1791 in South Carolina.
” After repeated menaces, Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil…” This is a quote from chapter one, also it’s a war message that wrote by President Polk. This has already explained that the invading from Mexico is one of the reasons for staring the war. Also, manifest destiny is another important reason for the war. President Polk wanted to expand the boundary of Untied States. He vowed to bring California under the United States control.
After reading the Texas Declaration of Independence and the rebuttal to it, I feel that Texas has presented the more convincing arguments. Texas provides a variety of supportive arguments on why they want to become independent from Mexico. Texas gives many examples of different ways Mexico is trying to take over their land. Texas refers to themselves as “an instrument in the hands of evil rulers.” (117) Texas and Mexico both sworn to support the federal republican constitution of their country, but it no longer had a important existence, due to the Mexican nation forcibly changing the whole nature of their government without giving Texas any consent. Texas argues that the Mexican General Santa Anna made late changes in the government and overturned the constitution that both states originally had agreed upon.
Both Martin Van Buren, who had been expected to win the Democratic nomination for President, and Henry Clay, who was to be the Whig nominee, tried to take the expansionist issue out of the campaign by declaring themselves opposed to the annexation of Texas. Polk, however, publicly asserted that Texas should be "re-annexed" and all of Oregon "re-occupied." The aged Jackson, correctly sensing that the people favored expansion, urged the choice of a candidate committed to the Nation's "Manifest Destiny." This view prevailed at the Democratic Convention, where Polk was nominated on
Slaveholders realized they needed a stronger law and help with enforcement. They would get their wish embedded in the Compromise of 1850. In December 1845, President James Polk added the Republic of Texas to the Union as a slave state. Both the government of Mexico and Northerners who feared a war with Mexico opposed the annexation. The Mexican-American war did follow, but ended up being a huge success for the United States, because The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gained the territories that would become California, Nevada, Utah, parts of Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.