Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845, is the idea that the United States is destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent. The philosophy drove 19th-century U.S. territorial expansion and was used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans and other groups from their homes. The rapid expansion of the United States intensified the issue of slavery as new states were added to the Union, leading to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Louisiana Purchase
Thanks to a high birth rate and brisk immigration, the U.S. population exploded in the first half of the 19th century, from around 5 million people in 1800 to more than 23 million by 1850.
Such rapid growth—as well as two economic depressions in 1819 and 1839—would drive millions of Americans westward in search of new land and new opportunities.
President Thomas Jefferson kicked off the country’s westward expansion in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase, which at some 828,000 square miles nearly doubled the size of the United States and stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. In addition to sponsoring the western expedition of Lewis and Clark of 1805-07, Jefferson also set his sights on Spanish Florida, a process that was finally concluded in 1819 under President James Monroe.
But critics of that treaty faulted Monroe and his secretary of state, John Quincy Adams, for yielding to Spain what they considered legitimate claims on Texas, where many Americans continued to settle.
In 1823, Monroe invoked Manifest Destiny when he spoke before Congress to warn European nations not to interfere with America’s Westward expansion, threatening that any attempt by Europeans to colonize the “American continents” would be seen as an act of war. This policy of an American sphere of influence and of non-intervention in European affairs became known as the “Monroe Doctrine.” After 1870, it would be used as a rationale for U.S. intervention in Latin America.
Texas Independence
Cries for the “re-annexation” of Texas increased after Mexico, having won its independence from Spain, passed a law suspending U.S. immigration into Texas in 1830.
Nonetheless, there were still more Anglo settlers in Texas than Hispanic ones, and in 1836, after Texas won its own independence, its new leaders sought to join the United States. The administrations of both Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren resisted such calls, fearing both war with Mexico and opposition from Americans who believed calls for annexation were linked with the desire to expand slavery in the Southwest.
But John Tyler, who won the presidency in 1840, was determined to proceed with the annexation. An agreement concluded in April 1844 made Texas eligible for admission as a U.S. territory, and possibly later as one or more states.
Despite opposition to this agreement in Congress, the pro-annexation candidate James K. Polk won the 1844 election, and Tyler was able to push the bill through and sign it before he left office.
The Coining of 'Manifest Destiny'
By the time Texas was admitted to the Union as a state in December 1845, the idea that the United States must inevitably expand westward all the way to the Pacific Ocean had taken firm hold among people from different regions, classes and political persuasions.
The phrase “Manifest Destiny,” which emerged as the best-known expression of this mindset, first appeared in an editorial published in the July-August 1845 issue of The Democratic Review.
In it, the writer criticized the opposition that still lingered against the annexation of Texas, urging national unity on behalf of “the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.”
As the phrase also appeared in a nearly identical context in a July 1845 article in the New York Morning News, its originator is believed to be John O’Sullivan, the editor of both the Democratic Review and the Morning News at the time. That December, another Morning News article mentioned “manifest destiny” in reference to the Oregon Territory, another new frontier over which the United States was eager to assert its dominion.
Oregon Territory
An 1842 treaty between Great Britain and the United States partially resolved the question of where to draw the Canadian border, but left open the question of the Oregon Territory, which stretched from the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains over an area including what is now Oregon, Idaho, Washington State and most of British Columbia.
Polk, an ardent proponent of Manifest Destiny, had won election with the slogan “54˚ 40’ or fight!” (a reference to the potential northern boundary of Oregon as latitude 54˚ 40’) and called U.S. claims to Oregon “clear and unquestionable” in his inaugural address.
But as president, Polk wanted to get the issue resolved so the United States could move on to acquiring California from Mexico. In mid-1846, his administration agreed to a compromise whereby Oregon would be split along the 49th parallel, narrowly avoiding a crisis with Britain.
Impact of Manifest Destiny: The Civil War, Native American Wars
By the time the Oregon question was settled, the United States had entered into all-out war with Mexico, driven by the spirit of Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848, added an additional 525,000 square miles of U.S. territory, including all or parts of what is now California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
Despite the lofty idealism of Manifest Destiny, the rapid territorial expansion over the first half of the 19th century resulted not only in war with Mexico, but in the dislocation and brutal mistreatment of Native American, Hispanic and other non-European occupants of the territories now being occupied by the United States.
U.S. expansion also fueled the growing debate over slavery, by raising the pressing question of whether new states being admitted to the Union would allow slavery or not—a conflict that would eventually lead to the Civil War.
Sources
Julius W. Pratt, “The Origin of ‘Manifest Destiny’,” The American Historical Review (July 1927).
Sean Wilentz, The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (New York: Norton, 2005).
Michael Golay, The Tide of Empire: America’s March to the Pacific
Era of U.S. Continental Expansion, History, Art & Archives: U.S House of Representatives.
Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault. Start your free trial today.
What effect did the Civil War have on northern industry quizlet? Economic impacts from the Civil War were extremely important. ECONOMICALLY, The Northern economy was booming, there was steel manufactering and corporations transition from war supplies to other industries. Cotton textiles boomed but wages did not keep up with prices.
What effect did the Civil War have on the northern industry?
The Union’s industrial and economic capacity soared during the war as the North continued its rapid industrialization to suppress the rebellion. In the South, a smaller industrial base, fewer rail lines, and an agricultural economy based upon slave labor made mobilization of resources more difficult.
What effects did the War of 1812 have on northern industry?
What effect did the War of 1812 have on northern industry? The embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812 cut off access to British manufactured goods. Eager for substitutes, Americans built their own factories in the Northeast.
How did the war affect the economy in the North and south quizlet?
War production boosted Northern industry and fueled the economy. This gave the North an economic advantage over the South.
How did the Civil War affect the economy of the South quizlet?
How did the Civil War affect the South’s economy? The South was so badly devastated and destroyed, and the money was so worthless, that it failed to industrialize and remained a poor agricultural economy long after the North’s Industrial Revolution. The South was the poorest area of the nation.
What was an effect of the war on northern businesses?
What was an effect of the war on Northern businesses? They had increased costs for materials.
What happened to the North’s economy after the Civil War?
After the Civil War, the North was extremely prosperous. Its economy had boomed during the war, bringing economic growth to both the factories and the farms.
What caused the Northern colonies to become more industrialized?
Northern industrialization expanded rapidly following the War of 1812. Industrialized manufacturing began in New England, where wealthy merchants built water-powered textile mills (and mill towns to support them) along the rivers of the Northeast.
What were 3 Effects of the War of 1812?
- CAUSE 1. England prevented trade with other countries.
- CAUSE 2. England impressed sailors and forced them into the British Navy.
- CAUSE 3. England encouraged the Native Americans to attack sailors.
- EFFECT 1. Foreign Affairs- America proved it could defend itself.
- EFFECT 2. …
- EFFECT 3.
What were the effects of the War of 1812 quizlet?
Terms in this set (8)
Americans saw the need for a powerful government. Andrew Jackson became an american hero and 7th president. Manufacturing increased in U.S. because we couldn’t get European products. Indian resistance in west weakened which increased westward expansion.
What are the 3 main effects of the Civil War?
The Civil War confirmed the single political entity of the United States, led to freedom for more than four million enslaved Americans, established a more powerful and centralized federal government, and laid the foundation for America’s emergence as a world power in the 20th century.
Why did the war damage the northern economy less than the Southern?
Why did the war damage the northern economy less than the southern? The north had a better military supply than the south. What effects did the Civil war have on the soldiers who fought in it? The Civil War was a true hardship situation for many of the soldiers since many were inexperienced.
What effects did the Civil War have on American society quizlet?
What effects did the civil war have on American society? Slavery ends,many deaths,Military districts created,Southern economy in Ruins,the red cross.
What impact did the Civil War have on the economy and social development of the North quizlet?
The North’s economy had helped after the war had pasted, it experienced a railroad boom as railroads were built federal government support. This had led to westward expansion and much better transportation in the North’s economy.
What impact did the war have on the political economic and social life of the North and the South quizlet?
What impact did the war have on northern political, economic, and social life? And on the same aspects of southern life? Socially, blacks and whites were still divided in society and urbanization grew rapidly. Economically, the South suffered from the lack of laborers and the market revolution had changed the economy.
What effects did the Civil War have on the economy and social system of the South?
What effects did the Civil War have on the economy and social system of the South? The Southern Economy was destroyed. 2/3 of the shipping industry was gone and 9,000 miles of railroad. Plantation owners lost 3 billion from letting slaves go.
What effect did the Civil War have on the North and the South?
Farms and plantations were destroyed, and many southern cities were burned to the ground such as Atlanta, Georgia and Richmond, Virginia (the Confederacy’s capitol). The southern financial system was also ruined. After the war, Confederate money was worthless.
What economic effect did the Civil War have on the rural North?
What economic effect did the Civil War have on the rural North? High prices and increased production brought it prosperity. Why did some states in the Upper South opt for secession from the Union? They felt betrayed, believing that Lincoln had promised to achieve a peaceful reunion.
Which was an advantage for the north at the start of the Civil War?
The North had geographic advantages, too. It had more farms than the South to provide food for troops. Its land contained most of the country’s iron, coal, copper, and gold. The North controlled the seas, and its 21,000 miles of railroad track allowed troops and supplies to be transported wherever they were needed.
What problems did the North face after the Civil War?
What problems did the North face after the Civil War? 800,000 soldiers returning from war needing jobs, the government canceling war orders, and factories laying off workers.
What changed for the North as the war progressed?
The North was fighting for reunification, and the South for independence. But as the war progressed, the Civil War gradually turned into a social, economic and political revolution with unforeseen consequences. The Union war effort expanded to include not only reunification, but also the abolition of slavery.
What are 5 effects of the Civil War?
Among these were the Emancipation Proclamation; the Assassination of President Lincoln; the Reconstruction of Southern America; and the Jim Crow Laws. Know more about the impact of the American Civil War through its 10 major effects on the North and the South, on slavery, on politics, on economy and on society.
What was the Northern States economy based on?
The Northern states also had a huge economic stake in slavery and the cotton trade. The first half of the nineteenth century witnessed an enormous increase in the production of short-staple cotton in the South, and most of that cotton was exported to Great Britain and Europe.
Which industry experienced the greatest growth in the United States after the Civil War?
In the decades following the Civil War, the United States emerged as an industrial giant. Old industries expanded and many new ones, including petroleum refining, steel manufacturing, and electrical power, emerged.
What was a result of the changing economy of the north during the mid 1800s?
The North developed economically much more than the South in the first half of the 19th century. Slavery was quickly abolished and the economy reverted to the rising industry to such an extent that during the Civil War about 80% of the industry in the USA was in the North.
What were the causes and effects of the Civil War?
What were the 4 main causes of the Civil War? The biggest cause of the Civil War was the humanitarian and economic issue of slavery. However, the four biggest factors of causation were slavery, states vs federal rights, economics, and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
What were the economic effects of the War of 1812?
The War of 1812 had a devastating effect on commerce. The US trade restrictions leading up to the war dramatically decreased American exports. The British blockades and direct attacks on tobacco stores and other US trade goods made it difficult to conduct commerce during the war.
What was the biggest impact of the War of 1812?
The War of 1812 changed the course of American history. Because America had managed to fight the world’s greatest military power to a virtual standstill, it gained international respect. Furthermore, it instilled a greater sense of nationalism among its citizens.
What were 3 major outcomes of the War of 1812 quizlet?
What were the 3 major results of the War of 1812? American patriotism, weakened Native American resistance, and U.S. manufacturing grew.
What were three consequences of the War of 1812 quizlet?
Name the three consequences of the War of 1812. Increased American patriotism, Weakened Native American resistance, and U.S manufacturing grew.
What were two results of the War of 1812 quizlet?
What were the effects of the War of 1812? The effects of this war were the decrease in Native American resistance, increased American Patriotism, strengthened the nation, increased manufacturing and, decreased political party divisions..
What was a major result of the Civil War?
The biggest result was the end to Slavery. The 13th Amendment called for the abolishment of Slavery, and it was in support of President Lincoln’s Emancipation proclamation. In addition, the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were also passed by Congress and ratified by states, becoming law.
What happened as a result of the Civil War?
After four bloody years of conflict, the United States defeated the Confederate States. In the end, the states that were in rebellion were readmitted to the United States, and the institution of slavery was abolished nation-wide. Fact #2: Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States during the Civil War.
What were the most important results of the Civil War quizlet?
What were the most important results of the Civil War? The idea that the Union was indissoluble, and the passage of the 13th amendment.
How did the Civil War strengthen the North’s economy?
From Agriculture to Industry
While the agricultural, slave-based Southern economy was devastated by the war, the Northern economy benefited from development in many of its industries, including textile and iron production. The war also stimulated the growth of railroads, improving transportation infrastructure.
Why was the North more industrialized than the South?
In the North, the soil and climate favored smaller farmsteads rather than large plantations, which did not need slavery to operate them. Industry and manufacturing might flourished, which was fueled by European immigrant labor. Natural resources such as iron and copper were more abundant in the North than in the South.