The mid-nineteenth century of American history is defined by the decades-long dispute over westward expansion and the idea of Manifest Destiny. It describes the ideology that God decreed that the American population spread their territory with democracy and prosperity. This idea led to acts of war, a significant expansion in the nations territory, and extreme tensions between enslavers and abolitionists over the obtained land. This essay aims to explain the concept of Manifest Destiny and its influence on the United States and its population.
The American nation was enamored with the idea of upward growth and the prospects of gaining new ground to settle. The population was steadily growing, and along with it, demands for expansion of territory did also. President James K. Polk main targets were California and New Mexico, with their great potential for agricultural, mining, and economic purposes. According to Kiser (2018), this contributed immense value to the US as a burgeoning hemispheric superpower and justified any expenses regarding acquiring sovereignty in that territory. With these factors considered, America set out for westward expansion, made so by the idea of Manifest Destiny.
The United States went to war with Mexico, driven by profit from soon-to-be acquired lands. However, another justification sees Mexico as socially degraded and politically unstable, and financially unable to function (Kiser, 2018). This justification is at the heart of Manifest Destiny as an expansionist ideology – the belief that another nation, ethnicity, and race is far less advanced and requires assistance in its development. The idea that the United States would take on a paternalistic role of enlightening the masses in foreign regions became an integral part of American foreign policy. However, some Americans were wary of westward expansion because they were afraid that “the South would force its “peculiar institution” upon the entire Union” (Halabi, n.d.). Therefore it caused a great controversy that the federal government resolved by compromise.
In conclusion, Manifest Destiny was the leading cause of American expansionism in the mid-nineteenth century. It led to a substantial economic leap and brought the country much prosperity, as it had initially proclaimed. However, it also was the cause of many disputes between the North and the South about slavery laws, which eventually culminated in the Civil War that claimed many lives and ushered in a new era in American history.
References
Halabi, G. (n.d.). Westward expansion and the American Civil War. U.S. History Scene.
Kiser, W. S. (2018). Coast-to-Coast Empire: Manifest Destiny and the New Mexico Borderlands. University of Oklahoma Press.
Life in the north after the Civil War. (n.d.). Study.com.