Manifest Destiny -- An Introduction
Manifest Destiny -- a phrase used by leaders and politicians in the 1840s to
explain continental expansion by the United States -- revitalized a sense of
"mission" or national destiny for Americans.
The people of the United States felt it was their mission to extend the
"boundaries of freedom" to others by imparting their idealism and belief in
democratic institutions to those who were capable of self-government.
It excluded those people who were perceived as being incapable of self-
government, such as Native American people and those of non-European origin.
But there were other forces and political agendas at work as well; the following
points illustrate some of the economic, social and political pressures promoting
U.S. expansion:
The United States was experiencing a periodic high birth rate and
increases in population due to immigration.
Because agriculture provided the primary economic structure, large
families to work the farms were considered an asset.
U.S. population grew from more than five million in 1800 to more than 23
million by mid-century there was a need to expand into new territories
to accommodate this rapid growth.
It's estimated that nearly 4,000,000 Americans moved to western
territories between 1820 and 1850.
The United States suffered two economic depressions -- one in 1818 and a
second in 1839 these crises drove some people to seek their living in
frontier areas.
Frontier land was inexpensive or, in some cases, free.
Expansion into frontier areas opened opportunities for new commerce and
individual self-advancement.
Land ownership was associated with wealth and tied to self-sufficiency,
political power and independent "self-rule."
Maritime merchants saw an opportunity to expand and promote new
commerce by building West Coast ports leading to increased trade with
countries in the Pacific.
What were the driving forces behind the United States' quest for Manifest
Destiny during the 19th century?
The term "Manifest Destiny" was, in part, an expression of a genuine ideal on the
part of Americans.
But it was also a justification, in that they wanted territory and needed an excuse
or justification for a push into territory that they did not control. Manifest Destiny
was a conviction that God intended North America to be under the control of
Americans. It's a kind of early projection of Anglo-Saxon supremacy and there's
a racist element to it.
It was very hard to measure the two, since it would differ from person to person.
If you asked a person to define Manifest Destiny, he might tell you it is an ideal,
or he might say, "Well, we want the land and this is the easiest way to justify our
taking it."
