The 19th century was the period of significant changes in the social and political life of the United States. One of the most critical events that influenced American history was the invention of the Manifest Destiny doctrine. This concept, coined in 1845, expressed the philosophy of territorial expansion, which drove American society throughout the second half of the 19th century (Charles, 2016). The notion of Manifest Destiny combines several components, each representing an essential aspect of country’s contemporary mindset. There are several historical origins of the concept alongside with its application to the social politics of the 19th century.
There was an explosion in the U.S. population at the beginning of the 19th century due to the high birth rate alongside with the large incoming flow of immigrants. This rapid growth pushed millions of Americans to search for new lands and opportunities. It is possible to observe that the expansion movement was started by Thomas Jefferson, who enacted the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which nearly doubled the size of the United States (Fenelon, 2016). Additionally, after an extended period of uncertainty, Texas became a part of American territory in April 1844, which also significantly enlarged the population of the U. S. What is also important is that the annexation of Texas signalized forthcoming principal changes in American society. People from very different social classes, regions of inhabitation, and political persuasions were all driven by the idea of the inevitable expansion of the United States. They were confident in the country’s predestined right, given by God, to expand its territory and philosophy. Also, the economic aspect was of high importance in the exploration of new lands.
References
Charles, M. (2016). The Doctrine of Discovery, war, and the myth of America. Leaven, 24(3), 148-154.
Fenelon, J. V. (2016). Genocide, race, capitalism: Synopsis of formation within the modern world-system. Journal of World-Systems Research, 22(1), 23-30.