From: Anonymous Six
Date: 4/6/00
Time: 7:58:49 AM
Remote Name: 165.121.81.198
Anonymous Six History 67 Prof. William Cutler 4/4/00
The “Manifest Destiny” of the United States could be described as the expansion of the US across the entire North American continent. Much of the talk of manifest destiny came about as slaves holding states in the south were pushing for the annexation of Texas. In hopes they could make these states the property of the United States and acquire them as slave states and to increase on the wealth of the South. This angered many in the North who felt that the South and the President were working hand in hand to give southern states an unfair advantage economically. John O’Sullivan, an editor of an influential magazine wrote, “the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” Along with this phrase O’Sullivan pointed out three main ideas that make up the manifest destiny. The first reason was that god was behind the expansion of the Americans. This idea came from the strong beliefs that the Americans had in god, which was brought with them from England as Puritans. The doctrine of manifest destiny also meant that the United States would someday occupy the entire North American. This would create the necessary land for the growing population, who some believed that if they were not given the entire North American land would fall into the same over population problems as was common in Europe. All in all manifest destiny was the expansion of the Americans across the continent for economic and religious reasons.