Introduction
Manifest destiny is a philosophy advocating that the United States was divinely ordained to expand its dominance, capitalism, and democracy across the North American continent. This belief is also based on issues of religion and race. Nevertheless, the country was not ready to show its superiority without a justifiable reason. In 1845, an American editor named John L. O’Sullivan provided the needed validation for the expansion (History, 2019). Consequently, war became a favorable means for Anglo-Americans to fulfill this God-given obligation by seizing and settling on the region’s western territories, thus spreading its customs and traditions.
An American Politician Who Has Asserted the Principles of Manifest Destiny
President James K. Polk is the Politician most associated with the philosophy. Polk believed that voters elected him to continue the expansion of the United States into territories that were occupied by other countries. For instance, he used the slogan “54˚ 40′ or fight!” to imply the actual latitude of the northern boundary of Oregon (History, 2019). He also mentioned the country’s claims to this area were unmistakable and unquestionable (Eicher, 2018). However, when the boundary question was settled by acquiring part of the region from the British, Polk embarked on the annexation of Texas and California from Mexico, driven by the viewpoint of manifest destiny. This led to the war between the two countries in 1848, and eventually, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo added an extra 525,000 square miles to the country’s territory (History, 2019). These regions include entire or sections of what is currently New Mexico, California, Colorado, and Nevada.
My View on the Principles of Manifest Destiny
I disagree with Polk in this instance and with the principles of manifest destiny as a whole. This is because he enforced it despite the philosophy being unconstitutional. The expansion forced most Native Americans out of their lands. In addition, he willingly went to war with Mexico to forcefully own its territories but negotiated with Great Britain. Thus, this indicates that this concept was based on the pervasive belief in Anglo-American racial and cultural superiority. The expansion raised a contention about whether new territories being added to the Union would allow slavery or not. The president promised slaveholding could not continue in the regions acquired from Mexico. However, his failure to endorse the Wilmot Proviso that opposes this practice in the south contributed to the dislocation and brutal ethnic oppression of minority groups (Mann, 2020). These tribes had long been perceived as inferior, and efforts to “civilize” them were a God-given right.
Reform Movements and How They Seek to Transform All of Society
The abolitionist and women’s movements are among the most prominent social reforms in the United States. For instance, during Polk’s presidency, many abolitionists claimed that he supported the annexation of new states to promote enslavement. The abolitionist movement began in 1833 and ended in 1865 (National Geographic Society, 2019). Its main objective was to eradicate slavery (Ainsworth & Harward, 2019). Those who opposed the manifest destiny perspective believed it was unconstitutional because it encouraged slavery by subjecting non-European inhabitants to forced labor and taking Native Americans’ land without their consent.
Women were also critical during the country’s divinely assigned duty to colonize the western frontier. For women, life was tough because they held many responsibilities, such as sharing the hard labor of cultivating new farmlands. The obstacles they faced during westward expansion empowered them to break through certain social and legal barriers, leading to the women’s rights movement that started in 1848 and ended in 1917 (History, Art & Archives, n.d). Pioneer women made critical decisions that were essential for the success of farming enterprises. For this reason, their husbands started to consider them as coequals due to the necessity that everyone had to work hard and contribute to the success of new settlements. This might explain why the first states to allow women’s privileges, such as the right to vote, were those from western regions, such as Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho.
The Extent, to Which the Objectives of These Movements, Were Part of a Utopian Vision
To some degree, the objectives of the abolitionist and the women’s rights movements were part of a utopian vision compared to simply adjusting social expectations. In this context, the proponents of the abolitionist movement perceived that with the elimination of slavery and the guarantee of equal rights to everyone, all American citizens would enjoy similar rights and privileges. Nevertheless, racism is still rampant in the country, creating unequal opportunities, particularly among people of color. Additionally, the women’s rights movement advocated for a just society where all women would have equal rights to men. However, this has not been achieved because issues like gender discrimination in the workplace and the wage gap between men and women are still prevalent.
What Can Be Learned from the Patterns of Immigration
From the mid-1800s to the early 19th century, the United States received a massive influx of immigrants from different parts of the world following the acquisition of new territories. This was also attributed to a free and open migration policy that saw the United States population increase from about 5 million in 1800 to over 23 million people around 1850 (History, 2019). The patterns of immigration in the mid-1800s can provide insights to make assimilation easier for immigrants. In this case, one factor that can simplify this process is tolerance. This requires eradicating strong prejudices and allowing others to live freely because the reasons to endure those differences outweigh the motives for objection.
The United States expansionists had long coveted British and Mexican territories. However, white Americans, mainly from the southern parts of the country, started relocating to Texas around 1820 at the invitation of the Mexican government; they soon became a majority in this area and quickly became discontented with the original inhabitants’ customs and religions (Seago, 2021). For instance, immigrants who settled there, mainly Protestants, disliked Catholicism. A commonly held belief in American racial superiority also contributed to tension due to a discriminatory view toward the inhabitants’ traditions. In such scenarios, tolerance may be a barrier to prejudice and allow immigrants to live in harmony regardless of their deep-seated differences with the natives. Thus, this implies that without tolerance, assimilation may not be possible.
As more people migrated towards the western frontier, more interacted, and there were possibilities of individuals sharing the cultures. Intermingling with those from diverse settings can help immigrants quickly adapt to a certain lifestyle. In this context, learning religion and language is essential since they are usually considered the main constituents of culture. This does not necessarily mean people compromise their beliefs, values, or way of life but rather ways to enhance social interaction and bring different groups closer. Being cognizant of these unique social practices often helps in the quick assimilative process.
Conclusion
Manifest destiny created an opportunity to explore and discover new territories. However, this philosophy also led to the dislocation of Hispanic and other non-European occupants in the regions that were being occupied by the Polk administration, as well as the inhumane mistreatment of various ethnic groups. Consequently, some of these developments led to the formation of abolitionists and women’s rights movements that sought to help different people overcome their social and political challenges. The acquisition of new lands also led to relocation to populate the sparsely inhabited lands. However, the lessons from the patterns of immigration show that tolerance and learning other groups’ ways of life can make assimilation easier for immigrants.
References
Ainsworth, S.H. & Harward, B.M. (Eds.). (2019). Political groups, parties, and organizations that shaped America: An encyclopedia and document collection. ABC-CLIO.
Eicher, P. (2018). Raising the flag: America’s first envoys in faraway lands. University of Nebraska Press.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. (n.d). The Women’s rights movement, 1848–1917. History House.
History. (2019). Manifest destiny. Web.
Mann, L. (2020). The enslaved households of President James K. Polk. White House History. Web.
National Geographic Society. (2019). Abolition and the abolitionists. Web.
Seago, K. (2021). Independence for Texas. Highered Texas. Web.