Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-125) and index.
Contents
Barnburner -- Origins of manifest destiny -- Early republic looks west -- Territories and national policy -- Oregon -- Texas -- War with Mexico -- Fruits of war -- Legacy of manifest destiny -- Chronology and timeline -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Further reading -- Index.
Summary
As the population of the thirteen colonies grew and the economy developed, the desire to expand into new land increased. Nineteenth-century Americans believed it was their divine right to expand their territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. 'Manifest destiny', a phrase first used in 1839 by journalist John O'Sullivan, embodied the belief that God had given the United States a mission to spread a republican democracy across the continent. Advocates of manifest destiny were determined to carry out their mission and instigated several wars, including the war with Mexico to win much of what is now the southwestern United States. In "Manifest Destiny", learn how this philosophy to spread out across the land shaped our nation.
