From: Nekeira Batchelor
Date: 4/5/00
Time: 11:02:50 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.206.182
Manifest Destiny was a phrase that became popular among politicians during the 1840’s. John O. Sullivan coined the phrase in 1845 and there were three basic principles behind it: religion, free development, and population expansion. This phrase and ideology was popular among the politicians and common people of the time, it ultimately meant the expansion of the territory owned by the United States. This new philosophy helped people to believe that it was the American destiny to expand over the entire continent. Religion played a key role in the struggle for American citizens to attempt to attain manifest destiny. Their strong belief in God led them to the conclusion that they where the chosen people who would prosper on the new land. This belief caused then to think that they should populate the country to continue their moral, righteous, and Godly characteristics. Politics also where a factor in the rapid belief in manifest destiny. Positions believed that if they claimed new lands then foreign entities and local self-governments would concede to their ways and eventually become a part of the “United States”. The third belief behind manifest destiny was a population issue. Sullivan believed that as the population grew, if they remained in one place then social classes would form. He believed that the American people needed more space to expand and new lands to explore if this was not to happen. Sullivans definition of manifest destiny included the entire continent, although it was already occupied. He believed that it was Americans destiny to expand from the Pacific ocean to the Atlantic ocean. Sullivan believed this was the countries manifest destiny and there was no reason to let anything stop expansion.