Was manifest destiny a good or bad thing?

Answer 1

The justification of Imperialist Expansion under the term 'Manifest Destiny' was by no means unique to the American Settlers. The Colonialisation process resulted in large scale extermination and suppression of indigenous peoples as well as exploitation and theft of land and resources. Many European countries were guilty of the same thing by another name. Forced movement of peoples, slavery, and what by today's standards can not be tolerated, is to be condemned, yet continues today in other guises.

The past can not be undone. Blaming people for being 'Wrong' is futile. What can be done is to learn the lessons of history, and never to repeat them. America and other former Colonisers need to face their past squarely and deal with it in an honest and just way regardless of vested interests.

Open repentance for harm done, and meaningful reparations for those who continue to suffer the consequences is the only way. Until this unfinished business is dealt with, anger, resentment, non-integration and retribution will continue to smoulder at some level or other, whether it be in open protest or sullen insolence. For the USA this especially means the indigenous Indian Tribes, and post slavery Blacks.

A good start would to be to make History a mandatory subject in Schools, and to teach it as it really should be taught:

the 'unwhitewashed' Truth, the lessons to be learned from it, and how to manage the future better.

Answer 2

No, the term 'Manifest Destiny' was just another way of saying 'Imperialism.' It was also another excuse for displacing the native people who had been constantly pushed west as development continued in the United States. While the spirit of adventure was wonderful, the belief that one had a God-given right, not only to venture forth, but to impose one's culture and will on others, was disturbing.

Answer 3

Manifest Destiny was not something that could succeed or fail, it was a philosophy or view of history. Manifest Destiny was the view that it was the obvious destiny of the United States to span the American continent, from Atlantic to Pacific. (The word "manifest" in this context means "clear" or "obvious.")

Some of the more radical proponents of the view also thought the incorporation of Canada and at least parts of Mexico (Yucatan was a target at one time) as well as some of the Caribbean Islands, were included in that destiny.

As it turned out, the US did come to span the continent, and nearly came to include Cuba. In the process we took a good deal of northern Mexico, and nearly went to war with England for a third time. The concept of there being a Manifest Destiny of the US undoubtedly contributed to the force and rapidity of that expansion.

Answer 4

It was both, moving west to survive was it mostly. They just wanted to expand as much as possible. The concept of Manifest Destiny was pretty good for the white settlers, but in practice it spelled trouble for the Natives who already lived on lands out west.

Answer 5

Considering what is now the United States, it use to be taken up by the European countries except for a strip of land in the East that was the U.S. Once Manifest Destiny started, the lands were starting to expand and the U.S. started fighting for the lands. That's when the Mexican War came along. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war. It stated that Mexico gave up all claims to Texas and agreed that the Rio Grande was the boarded between the U.S. and Mexico.

Answer 6

It was bad. It pushed people out of their homes jut so the greedy Americans could have even more.