Why did people support the manifest destiny?

Answer 1

The study of history places the historian in a delicate situation. In many cases the result is to take current ideas and plant them in the minds of the persons that existed in the past. The question to be answered about "manifest destiny" is already loaded and now requires some examples to make a myth to explain, or even cause disdain among a group of people and their actions. This I maintain is why the so-called manifest destiny over shadows the reality of the times. In this case the reason that the "West" was settled. The term overlooks ordinary commonsense to explain that a belief that there was a "divine" sanction that caused the United States to stretch from the east coast to the west coast.

What most historians have written is this: When the Harvard educated journalist coined the term "Manifest Destiny" in 1845, it was a description of why American vision was drawn, by God's will, to stretch from coast to coast.

This idea ignores the common sense of the era, and also implies that "divinity" was not on the side of the Great Britain and Mexico. It also takes an opinion poll as to why so many Americans were influenced by two words. There was no opinion poll, and the logic that brought Americans to St. Louis, was not influenced by manifest destiny.

In 1803, Napoleon need cash to carry out his adventures in Europe and Thomas Jefferson ( an "agnostic? " ) knew a good real estate deal when he saw one. At three cents an acre, the Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the size of the United States, but France, for all practical purposes had left North America. Thus one potential adversary was gone.

The West was already in the process of being settled when the Mormons were forces west of the Mississippi. Their founder, Joseph Smith had already been murdered, so Brigham Young led his group, with very "un-American" ideas about bigamy, to Utah.

In 1844, under US President John Taylor, a treaty with China was the opening door for a prosperous trading future.

Around this same time, Mexico and Great Britain were geo-political problems for the US. The British had been negotiating with Sam Houston, trying to lure the Texas republic away from the US.

Mexico was conspiring with the British to give them a stronger hold on California.

The Mexican War in 1846, was not a religious war. The peace terms provided, which was important then as it is now, for land the Mexico could not control anyway.

1846-- US President Polk signs deal with Great Britain over the "Oregon problem". Somehow, Great Britain moved it's Canadian "territory" from coast to coast with no apparent divine approval.

!849-- Gold Rush!

The list is long. When the Federal government was giving away lands west of the Mississippi, it was a good deal for people to make a new start. The lavish land grants to railroads were not driven by the "Lord's Will".

The bottom line here is clear. Americans went on a land grabbing spree because they believed it was God's destiny that they should. This was not the case.

Answer 2

The study of history places the historian in a delicate situation. In many cases the result is to take current ideas and plant them in the minds of persons that existed in the past. The question to be answered about "manifest destiny" is already a loaded one and now requires some examples to make a myth to be exactly that. This myth has caused people to have disdain towards a group of 19th Century Americans and their actions. This, I maintain is why the so-called manifest destiny overshadows the reality of those times. In this case, it's the reason the West was settled. The term overlooks commonsense to explain a belief that there was a divine sanction that caused the United States to stretch from coast to coast.

What most historians have written is this: When the Harvard educated journalist coined the term Manifest Destiny in 1845, it was a description of why American vision was drawn by God's will from East to West.

This idea ignores the commonsense of the era, and implies that divinity was not on the side of Great Britain and Mexico. The question also takes an opinion poll as to why so many Americans were influenced by two words. There was no opinion poll. And, apparently the logic that brought Americans to St.Louis was not influenced by manifest destiny.

In 1803, Napoleon needed cash to carry out his adventures in Europe and Thomas Jefferson ( an agnostic? ) knew a good real estate deal when he saw one. At three cents an acre, the Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the size of the United States. And, France, for all practical purposes had left North America. Thus one powerful potential US adversary was gone.

The West was already in the process of being settled when the Mormons were forced west of the Mississippi. Their leader, Joseph Smith had already been murdered, so Brigham Young led his people to Utah with their rather un-American ideas about bigamy.

In 1844, under US President John Taylor, a treaty with China was the opening door for a prosperous trading future.

Around this same time, Mexico and Great Britain were now geo-political problems for the US. The British had been negotiating with Sam Houston, trying to lure the Texas Republic away from the US.

Mexico was conspiring with the British to give them a stronger hold on California.

The Mexican War in 1846 was not a religious war. The treaty terms were then as they are now very important ones regarding land that Mexico could not really even control.

1846- President Polk sign deal to solve the problem of Oregon with Great Britain. Somehow the Brits managed to move their Canadian territory from coast to coast without any divine blessings.

1849 -- Gold Rush!

The list is long, and when the Federal government was giving away free land to would be settlers, many people took advantage of it. The lavish land grants to US railroads, were not driven by the Lord's will.

The bottom line here is clear. For whatever purpose, historians have painted the move westward to naive American beliefs that it was the will of God. This is not the case.

Answer 3

Manifest Destiny is the belief of many Americans that it was America's destiny to expand to the west.