University:
Arizona State University
Course:
HST 200 | Historical Themes
Academic year:

2024
Views:

473

Pages:

2
Author:

Thuyoul US

ASU HST 200 (Historical Themes) Westward Expansion, 1840-1900 Manifest Destiny The nation was based on a lengthy history of territorial expansion, which is where the idea of "Manifest Destiny" originated. The phrase "it was our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our multiplying millions" was first used by magazine editor John O'Sullivan in the United States Magazine and Democratic Review in 1845. Although O'Sullivan's original article was intended to encourage expansion into the newly acquired Texas territory, the spirit it invoked would later be used to encourage westward settlement throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century. For their own financial gain, land developers, railroad tycoons, and other investors seized the opportunity to promote westward colonization. Soon after, as a way to advance the West during the Civil War— particularly in the early going, when fears of prospective slavery spreading farther into western areas were real—the federal government supported this tendency. The concept was straightforward: American expansion of democratic institutions across the continent was not only inevitable, but also divinely predestined. As they dispersed their ideas, cultures, and rituals, they would also introduce Protestant institutions and, more crucially, innovative land development techniques to the indigenous population. Although O'Sullivan is credited with coining the phrase, the idea was present before him. Politicians and authors expressed the notion that the United States was destined to control the continent during the 1800s. The popular press took note of O'Sullivan's remarks, which aligned with the political and economic objectives of a federal administration that was becoming more and more focused on growth. In the views of Americans, Manifest Destiny excused them of whatever dubious methods they used in the process and validated their right and obligation to rule over any other people they came into contact with while expanding their territory. Contrary to popular belief, the frontier was really largely uninhabited at the time and was only waiting for settlers who knew how to effectively utilize its abundant resources for financial benefit. Numerous Asian and Western European settlers, as well as Hispanic groups in the Southwest and other tribes spread over the western states, already inhabited numerous regions of the nation. More than just filling voids, American growth would need a considerably more intricate and engaged interaction. Nevertheless, waves of Americans and freshly arrived immigrants started to go west in wagon trains, partially due to the spark ignited by O'Sullivan and others. They followed many well-known trails: the Oregon Trail initially, followed by the Santa Fe and California Trails in due course. Among these western routes, the Oregon Trail is the most well-known. Wagon trains, which were two thousand miles long and nearly impassable on foot at the beginning of the nineteenth century, were a familiar sight by the 1840s. Over 400,000 immigrants traveled this way west from Missouri between 1845 and 1870, often regarded as the apex of migration along the trail (Figure 17.3). Movies frequently highlight conflicts with Native Americans, but in reality, tribal members frequently assisted immigrants or exchanged goods with them.