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Thus, the Angelinos Americans believed that they upheld the natural right to move w est., bringing galvanometers and Protestantism. The expansion would not just give territory ill expansion but also individual economic opportunity. The idea of manifest destiny held that the United States was a superior nation chosen by God to be the best of the best. The right of our manifest destiny to oversee dead and to possess the whole of the continent which providence has given us” (Brinkley 352).
Belie veers in this idea viewed their government as superior to others, and the American Protestantism m was superior to the Roman Catholic. The Americans felt as if they were racially superior to the Native Americans and the Spanish in Mexico. Manifest destiny encompassed themes in which w as expressed. Their cocky attitude is what led to the expansion of the asses, which later on cause d the Americans to believe they deserved the right to the territory of Mexico. By the Americans if gating for the Mexican territory it is what led to the Noncommercial War.
Americans also believed they owned the land of the Oregon Territory. Along with the Noncommercial War came racism, due to the attitude that the Angelinos population was superior. Their view Of themselves as superior, coupled with a belief that they were destined to do good. As Americans, ever since they declared independence from Britain they had al ways viewed themselves as independent and different, and often better; exception Allis. This ideology is seen if Manifest Destiny, where people believed that enforcing their own id ease on others would be a good. They believed they were superior.
This ideal stemmed from, Puritanism and common sense. The puritans, with their strict religious beliefs preached the sees debasement of a new community that would be a reflection of the Old World. In THomas Paine’ s influential Common Sense endeavor he argued that an American Revolution was nesses oratory provide an opportunity for a new and better society. These ideals was the force that drove e the country during the Revolution. Indeed, many Americans strongly believed that they could an d would be able to successfully expand the United States and the democratic society along with t hem.
During this time in the United States, there was much optimism. The country was celebrating their victory of the War of 181 2 and in the Era of Good Feeling. A America was full of cantonal pride from the victory of the war and America felt that they could ma eke positive changes in themselves and as a nation. Thus, fueling people’s tenacity for expansion d urine this period was the mindset of the people that was implemented into the American socio TTY. Furthermore, to say that the expansion of America was a choice by God, was I social.
Looking back, stemmed from the colonial times, God had always played an IM portent part of the New world society. The United States was indeed founded by faithfully religion us people, the Puritans; America has never been secular as a country. America is heavily infill nuanced on religion. However, along with another plausible part of setting off the Manifest destiny was the inflation of sectionalism. Alongside the Second Great Awakening, a large nu member of people began to question the teachings of the church and could no longer give them the answers that they seek.
Thus, People sought out their own truth, giving rise to religious mind abundance. Americans saw themselves as superior and acted on those beliefs. The attitude e of the Americans superiority resulted in tension and war amongst the Mexicans. The ideals of Manifest Destiny, along with the inflation of sectionalism, influence of religion, and t he country optimistic attitude, it caused the people to view themselves as a nation. This g eave rise to the tenacity for expansion during this period. Most Americans believed that expansion across North America was their deist NY.
Was expansion actually inevitable? What forces might have stopped it? How would d American history have changed if the Mexican War had not occurred? Most Americans believed that expansion across North America was Gods test However, because Manifest Destiny was the cause of expansionism, it was no t preventable. One of the consequences of the country belief in Manifest Destiny caused the Me centenarian War, which changed Americas geographical and political aspects. The Manifest Destiny had many themes associated with the ideals from before e the occurrence of the Revolutionary War.
Religion was one of these contributing f actors. Americans themselves viewed their country and ideals to be better than anyone else’s. T here was no way of avoiding this unless the whole united states was to become entirely become u undemocratic, which is something that would not happen. Manifest Destiny was the believe that the Americans had he “power” to obtain the entire north America, this means huge expansion. Along with expansion came more of an influx of population, and farming. Far mall was needed in the west since it had lost its economic value in the north since the beginning of the Hamiltonian era.
Many people moved out west because they were accustomed d to their life of the Jeffersonian era, agriculture, because they viewed it as a pure life and that far mere were God’s chosen people since they tend the land. Thus he believed for every American to be apart of this era, expansion was necessary. Furthermore, according to the Jeffersonian vie , land ownership equated to freedom and represented independence and democracy amongst the Americans. Furthermore, the government proceeded in investments in internal improve meets, such as the building of a transcontinental railroad, as well as extension of current railway s.
This made transportation incredibly easier for both people and invaluable supplies to tray veil west. The internal improvements only encouraged and aided expansion. Americans were not in favor for the prevention of expansion. The major shall Eng the Americans faced would be that other populations, that encompassed the land way before we arrived, had already settled and was not for the notion that we wanted to take e their land. Ironically, the United States government had created treaties amongst the An dive Americans and laws to protect the native Americans.
However, the Americans, of course with their superiority attitude, did not view them as equal; thus had no respect for them. For the gar deed of wealth, many people migrated west in search Of gold and silver. This greed for land and we lath by the Americans, also a lack of respect, resulted in the Noncommercial War. The Mexican War actually had substantial, important consequences on the United States. Final y, the Mexican War established the Ignited States as the greatest power in the Western Hemisphere re. Maybe the war was unnecessary; maybe not.
Either way, the United States would have had el as respect to the others. However, for the respect of the Native Americans and others, expanse on should have been avoided. Expansion, Of the united States could not have been avoided. Considering ex pianissimos was a direct result of Manifest Destiny. Expansionism provoked the Mexican War, and without the war taking place, the country would have been different. Our country woo old have been efferent in the aspect of possible prolonging slavery and our geographically c hanged because we would not have the same boundaries.
Did President Polk deliberately provoke the Mexican War as then Congressman n Abraham Lincoln charged? Or was that War largely inevitable given Jamaican tension s following the annexation of Texas? The Mexican and American war had politically and geographically important consequences. The causes of the war are debated if it was an imperialistic act provoked deliberately by President Polk, and others believe it was inevitable because of the tensions teen Texas and America after it won its independence.
However, my Stan CE on this particular issue is that Polk indeed played a major role in causing the Mexican American War; but this wasn’t due to wanting expansion. Polk wanted to negotiate with Mix co. He wanted to purchase California because he was fearful of Great Britain colonizing the tear Tory first, considering they owned Oregon. Using diplomacy, he was not hesitant to go t o war for these negotiations. Originally Polk offered a hefty monetary sum to the Mexican gob ornament to cede the California and New Mexico territories to the United States.
Mexico, however ere, declined his offer. More than anything Polk wanted to negotiate with Mexico. He was anxious to purchase California from them because he feared that Great Britain also had its eyes o n the territory, considering it owned Oregon. For these negotiations, he was more than willing g to threaten war, using “eyeball” diplomacy. Basically, Polk was stubborn enough to try to fake out Mexico and force them to make a move first. This wasn’t entirely unreasonable; he was e employing this tactic with England as well, and it was working.
However, this was probably because England was less invested in their ownership of Oregon (and had no interest in California) then Mexico was in California, at least enough that they didn’t see any need to start yet another A noncommercial war over it, despite how hostile situations grew for a time. However, Mexico took t his as an insult, only inflaming tensions further. The negotiations would have been successful if Polk perhaps did not threat n Mexico of war. He underestimated Mexico as an opponent and because of that , it resulted in a war. Since Texas won its independence, it withdrew their diplomat from Washington.
To restore e the diplomatic elation’s with Mexico, Polk sent John Slide to communicate to the Mexican g overpayment leaders, including their president, Joss Joaquin De Hearer. However, this did not work out well for Polk because he first, instructed Slide to negotiate about California, didn’t mention Texas, and Polk sent troops with Slide. By him sending troops, this intimidated Mix co and caused fear in them of being overthrown. At this point, with the actions taken by Polk, war was inevitable. However, he completely oblivious and believed that his decisions were necessary. He never expected the war to go on for as long as it did.