Manifest Destiny and Foreign Policy Essay

The term bear witness extremity, which the Statesn writer magic L. OSullivan first gear used in the refreshed York Democratic Review in 1845. , describes what roughly 19th-Century the Statesns believed was their God-given mission to expand due western hemisphere, occupy a continental nation, and ext finish up U. S. constitutional g everyplacening body to unenlightened peoples. The idea was the driving specialty behind the rapid expansion of America into the western hemisphere from the East, and it was heavily promoted in newspapers, posters, and done and by means of other mediums.While the unming conduct indispensableness was non itself an official government policy, it had a critical imp achievement on the inappropriate policy of the U. S. and encouraged double-u colonization, territorial reserve encyclopedism, and American thought during the 19th century. West ward expansion A. K. A. apparent destiny conduct to Americas rapid skill of the old Mexican Southwest and the operating theatre grunge that marked the fulfillment of chairwoman throng K. Polks expansionistic campaign promises.Polk ran on only one platform westward expansion. He wanted to officially guide the southern part of operating theater Territory annexe the American Southwest from Mexico and annex Texas. Thus, Polks desire for land would in the end cause a great accost of suffering for umpteen Mexicans, Native Americans and fall in States citizens. Following the earlier Texas War of emancipation from Mexico, tensions between the dickens colossalst independent nations on the North American continent grew as Texas regular(a)tually became a U. S. state.Disputes over the contact lines sparked military confrontation, helped by the fact that president Polk eagerly sought a war in order to seize large tracts of land from Mexico. The war took place chiefly on Mexican soil. Partially because of disorganization and instability in the Mexican government, the war resulte d in and American victory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, shutting the war, make the southern boundary of Texas the Rio Grande, gave calcium and juvenile Mexico to the linked States, and gave $15 one thousand thousand to Mexico in compensation.Furthermore, the Manifest dower impact the extraneous policy of the U. S. through Polk appointing John Slidell of Louisiana as minister to Mexico, and instructing him to rear up 30 million dollars to make up the disputed claims and purchase calcium and New Mexicothe territory between Texas and atomic number 20. Like Polk many Americans during the 1840s-1850s were motivated by the spirit of the Manifest Destiny. Specifically, Oregon Fever seized thousands of western Americans shoot d testify hard by the economical falling off (known as the Panic of 1837)triggered largely by an over-speculation in federal lands.Missouri was the jump point of the 2,000 mile Overland Trail, traveled by Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger, and other mountain men. ordinarily referred to as the Oregon Trail, the route ran along the Missouri and Platte Rivers, across the Great Plains, and through the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains. By, Americans lamentable that far west in Oregon only further encourages that the Manifest Destiny impacted American thought and westbound colonization.Lastly, President crowd to bug outher Polk used the yell of Manifest Destiny during his 1844 election, calling for the annexation of all(prenominal) of Oregon, and Fifty iv Forty or Fight, both popular rallying cries supporting annexation. James K. Polks used the Presidential swagger pulpit and the cry of Manifest Destiny at different times, first with the British in attempts to gain Oregon and a couple years later to root for Mexico to settle in 1848 and compromise, selling California and New Mexico to the United States to help end the war between the US and Mexico. finished the Manifest Destiny, Americans were motivated to seek economic and land o pportunities especially in California. For example, the princelyen Rush attracted an abundance of Americans to strike it rich. James Marshall found gold time working for John Sutter at his gap in northern California on January 24, 1848. He had been hired to fig a mill for Sutter. This place would enter American lore as Sutters hoagie. Word quickly spread through California, the rest of America and eventually the creative activity and people flocked to California to make their fortune.In fact, according to some estimates, the population increase by 86,000 people in two years. Most of these treasure seekers left for California in 1849, hence our get word for them 49ers. Next, the first lucky arrivals were able to find nuggets of gold in the streambeds. These people do quick fortunes. It was a unique time in history where individuals with literally nothing to their name could become extremely wealthy. The gold was surplus for whoever was lucky enough to find it. It is no sur prise that gold fever wee so heavily.Yet the majority of those who made the journey out West were not so lucky. The individuals who became the richest were in fact not these early miners but were instead entrepreneurs who created businesses to support all of the prospectors. However, the Gold Rush beef up the idea of Manifest Destiny. America was bound to span from Atlantic to Pacific, and the accidental baring of Gold made California an even more essential part of the picture. Furthermore, the U. S. started an act called the Homestead subprogram.The Homestead Act verbalize that any White American that is over the age of 21 could move to the West side of the U. S. and own 160 nation of un-owned land if they wanted to. It also verbalize that a White American could get 160 acres of un-owned land and build a house on it then(prenominal) after 5-years it could be your land. The Homestead Act helped the western expansion in which was furnish by Manifest Destiny through the fan cy of how its the peoples God Given Right to own land. The Manifest Destiny also brought a strong perception of patriotism amongst the peoples.Nationalism was the key point in the west ward expansionism. Without this feeling of unity in our country we never would have made it. The spirit of Manifest Destiny pervaded the United States during the Age of Reformthe decades prior to the civil War. John L. OSullivan, editor of the prestigious United States Magazine and Democratic Review, gave the expansionist movement its name in 1845, when he wrote that it is the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to diffuse the continent allotted by capital of Rhode Island for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.Manifest Destiny was stimulated by nationalism and an idealistic vision of human perfectibility. It was Americas duty to extend improperness and democratic institutions across the continent. Underlying this ecclesiastic American mission was a feeling of cultural and e ven racial superiority. All in all the overall concept of the Manifest Destiny, impacted the United States foreign policy through territorial acquisition and influenced American thought in which led to an abundance of Americans to move west because of economic, agricultural, and loyal beliefs.