O’Sullivan was the one who first used the term “manifest destiny,” and it referred to his belief that the young nation of the United States possessed a divine privilege and mandate to broaden and grow bigger. The term was an idea that the US had the right to expand its democratic and capitalistic values throughout the North American continent (Boczkowska, 2017). The United States of America was unique and needed to grow to share its magnificent principles with more people.
The phrase “manifest destiny” has taken on a more pessimistic connotation in recent decades, reflecting a shift in perception of its original significance. For example, President Jackson, in particular, used the phrase to justify removing the Indians from their lands since the US still has a “manifest destiny” to march westward (Boczkowska, 2017). Thus, this entailed eliminating the natives to create space for US settlement in the West.
People were driven to go westward due to the phrase, which helped them feel pride in their nation and motivated them to move westward. People had a strong desire to share the “manifest destiny” of the US, a distinctive mix of democratic principles and capitalist practices that made the nation unique. People yearned to go to the West because they felt immense pride in their nation and were aware of the vast opportunities that existed in the country.
The need and will to find land was a driving force for the migration of settlers to the West. The Homestead Act of 1862, a government initiative, assisted the settlers at low expense (Khomina, 2020). The settlers wanted to start their enterprises and provide for their families. Since the majority of the land in the nation had not been claimed, there was a significant amount of untapped potential.
References
Boczkowska, K. (2017). Spaceflight as the (Trans)National Spectacle: Transforming technological sublime and panoramic realism in early IMAX space films. Second Language Learning and Teaching, 123–137.
Khomina, A. (2020). The Homestead Act of 1862. US history scene.