Manifest destiny is a term coined by newspaper editor John O’Sullivan in 1845 to describe the moral, ethical, religious, patriotic, and financial reasoning behind the United State’s expansion of territory from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans (“Manifest”). Many Americans believed that it was God’s intent for them to do this; their Christian faith was seen as superior to that of the “heathen” native Americans who already occupied the land. The rapid expansion westward was driven in part by the feeling that the American people were special and in some ways remains a part of today’s foreign policy.
/>
Although the term was not coined until 1845, the general spirit and belief of manifest destiny was well established already as Americans moved west. Lewis and Clark were explorers who traveled to the Pacific ocean and back from 1803to1806; their part in manifest destiny was to provide maps and an idea about the western natural resources of the continent (“Manifest . . . Lewis & Clark”). Lewis and Clark were aided in their journey by the Shoshone woman Sacagawea; if she had not guided them, their journey and accumulation of information would have not been so successful.
The Louisiana Purchase was one of the biggest steps the new nation took toward expanding westward. This purchased, brokered between Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte deeded Louisina to America for 15 million dollars, or three cents per acre (Pyeatt). Pyeatt writes, “As a result of the deal, the U.S. gained control of the powerful Mississippi River, doubled the size of the country and affirmed the idea for many that America's "Manifest Destiny" was to dominate North America and become a global power.” Although many Americans saw manifest destiny as a religious idea, the gaining of Louisiana demonstrated that manifest destiny was equally about natural resources and political power.
Andres Jackson was a supporter of the idea of manifest destiny. In 1843, he described it as “extending the area of freedom” (Davis). Though there were a multitude of reasons to support the idea of manifest destiny for the new settlers and politicians such as economic and religious rationales, a big reason was political. According to some historians, Andrew Jackson’s ““manifest destiny’ . . . was a creation of nationalism and transatlantic rivalry” (Lee 1). The desire to not only extricate itself from the influence of the nation that had formerly been the top world power, Britain, but also the desire to become the top world power itself, highly influenced politicians like Jackson to support the idea of manifest destiny which would give the nation the economic and political clout a world power must possess.
Although many Americans supported the idea of manifest destiny because it meant easily available land, resources, and riches for the new settlers, there was also opposition to it. For example, Whig politician Henry Clay did not support the idea because it was used to justify a war in Mexico (“Henry Clay”). He was against American imperialism and the rush to settle the continent too quickly which he felt would be dangerous for America’s place on the world stage. Additionally, this was “a theoretical justification for U.S. expansion outside of North America,” something Clay felt would not be positive for the nation (Davis).
Today, the idea of manifest destiny is not subscribed to by many Americans because of its racist and other objectionable ideas that the white and Christian settlers were superior to any others who wanted to settle or live in North America. However, manifest destiny still echos in the idea of “American exceptionalism,” which is the idea that the United States is a new nation different from others because it has a specific mission to spread democracy and liberty worldwide (Fluck 207). Manifest destiny is a term that combines many of the beliefs of the 19th century concerning the moral, ethical, religious, patriotic, and financial reasoning behind the rapid westward expansion of the nation. Undoubtedly, even if Lewis and Clark had not made their journey with Sacajawea or Andrew Jackson had not supported the idea of manifest destiny, expansion would have occurred anyway because other explorers would have made the journey and other politicians would have supported the idea. However, these people remain an important part of American history that offered a faster pace toward westward expansion and a resounding political philosophy concerning other nations and foreign policy that still echoes today as the nation still looks for natural resources such as oil and cheap labor to meet its material demands.
Works Cited
Davis, Ken. Manifest Destiny. Friends of the American Revolution, n.d. Web. Accessed 6 May 2013.
Fluck, Winfried. Re-Framing the Transnational Turn in American Studies. UP New England, 2011. Print.
Henry Clay. Princeton.edu, n.d. Web. Accessed 6 May 2013.
Lee, Sohui. Manifest Empire: Anglo-American Rivalry and the Shaping of U.S. Manifest Destiny. Stanford University, n.d. Web. Accessed 6 May 2013.
Manifest Destiny. U.S. History.org, n.d. Web. Accessed 6 May 2013.
Manifest Destiny, Lewis & Clark, & Trail of Tears. HistoryClassSite, n.d. Web. Accessed 6 May 2013.
Pyeatt, Matt. The Louisiana Purchase and America's ‘Manifest Destiny.’ CNS News, 7 Jul. 2008. Web.
