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Essay / American Expansion: How Manifest Destiny Was Justified
Recognizing the fact that much of the trans-Mississippi West lay outside American borders, Americans by the mid-1800s realized that the future of the lands in the West lay in the hands of the United States. States. Manifest Destiny served as a justification for expansion by conveying the popular belief that the United States had a divine task to expand its power and civilization throughout North America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the 19th century, many people believed that their destiny was justified and inevitable by God. However, many of the protests against Manifest Destiny came either from abolitionists or from individuals opposed to the development of control in the Western regions. Congressman Abraham Lincoln of Illinois viewed Manifest as a pretext for expanding slavery into the Western regions. The real concern is that at some point these regions could become states with senators or representatives who could either vote to proceed with subjugation and expand slavery in the regions or one day permanently end slavery. Expansionists wanted to see the United States expand west and south and Although the United States failed to claim Cuba and Nicaragua, America was overall successful in fulfilling its manifest destiny through the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of lands in Oregon and California. The United States' interest in expanding its borders south to Texas and west to Oregon and California was largely influenced by the migration of American pioneers in the 1820s and 1830s. After Mexico Having gained independence from Spain in 1823, the new country sought to attract settlers to cultivate its lands. sparsely populated province of North Texas. American settlers were welcome and, in fact, outnumbered Mexicans three to one in Texas. In 1829, Mexico outlawed slavery and required all immigrants to convert to Roman Catholicism, but many settlers refused to obey these laws. Due to American refusal, Mexico closed its borders to any additional American immigrants, but this proved unsuccessful as thousands of Americans continued to flood. Frictions intensified when, in 1834, General Antonio López de Santa Anna made himself dictator of Mexico and attempted to impose power in Mexico. Laws from Mexico to Texas. He brought an army to attack a band of American settlers led by Sam Houston. Eventually, Sam Houston's army captured Santa Anna, forcing him to sign a treaty recognizing Mexican independence. Houston then requested the annexation of Texas in 1836, but this was not accomplished until 1845, when President John Tyler pushed for a joint resolution on the subject. The annexation of Texas quickly led to problems with Mexico, which later led to the Mexican War. Mexico severed diplomatic relations with the United States, but President James Polk wanted to take advantage of a weak Mexico by requesting the Texas border be moved 150 miles south to the Rio Grande, and he was also interested by the purchase of California from Mexico. When Mexico refused his terms, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor's army to continue toward the Rio Grande. This led to a small skirmish between Mexican and American troops, which resulted in 16 American casualties. This incident served as a pretext to justify a war messagewhich Polk then sent to Congress, declaring war on Mexico. The United States' entry into a war with Mexico was controversial from start to finish. During the first year of the war (1846), Congressman David Wilmot proposed a bill banning slavery in all new territories acquired from Mexico. The Wilmot reservation passed the House twice, but was defeated in the Senate. The war lasted from the spring of 1846 to the fall of 1847, when the Americans captured Mexico City, thereby winning the war. Mexico accepted the United States' original terms in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848). The border of Texas was expanded and California and New Mexico were both sold to the United States for a sum of $15 million. To the west, Britain and America disputed Oregon, a vast territory on the Pacific coast that originally extended north to the Alaska border. Britain based its territorial claim on the Hudson Fur Company's lucrative fur trade with the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest. The United States based its claim on how an American named Captain Robert Gray discovered the Columbia River, Lewis and Clark's overland expedition to the Pacific Coast, and the trading post and fort Furs of Astoria, Oregon, established. by an American named John Jacob Astor. Eventually, Britain and the Americans divided the Oregon Territory in 1846, with the Americans getting the half south of the 49th parallel. President Polk made the decision to compromise with Britain so that the United States would not have to fight the British and Mexico at the same time. Although America overall successfully fulfilled its manifest destiny, it failed to acquire land in Cuba and Nicaragua. dissatisfied with the territorial gains of the Mexican War and wanted to acquire new territories in Latin America. President Polk offered to buy Cuba from Spain for $100 million, but Spain refused and when southern adventurers attempted to take the island by force, Spain easily immobilized and destroyed shipments. And then, years later, when he was elected president, Franklin Pierce sent American diplomats to Spain to secretly negotiate the purchase of Cuba from Spain. The Ostend Manifesto drafted by the diplomats was leaked to the American press and provoked an angry response from anti-slavery members of Congress, forcing Pierce to abandon negotiations. Although he failed to acquire Cuba, Pierce managed to add a strip of land to the American Southwest in 1853. Known as the Gadsden Purchase, the United States conquered the southern portions of present-day New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico for $10 million. William Walker was an example of an expansionist who attempted to conquer new lands with or without the support of the U.S. government. Leading a force of mostly southerners to develop a Central American slave empire, Walker and his gang took control of Nicaragua in 1855. His rule, however, came to an abrupt end when a Central American coalition invades and defeats Walker in 1857. in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, although America failed to conquer the Central American territories of Cuba and Nicaragua, overall the United States was successful in fulfilling its manifest destiny through the annexation of Texas and by the gain of land in Oregon and California. Territorial expansion (1995)..