Manifest Destiny and Foreign Policy Essay

The term license Destiny, which American writer John L. OSullivan first used in the New York Democratic Review in 1845. , describes what most 19th-Century Americans believed was their God-given mission to expand westward, occupy a continental nation, and extend U. S. constitutional goernment to unenlightened peoples. The idea was the driving force behind the rapid intricacy of America into the West from the East, and it was heavily promoted in newspapers, posters, and through other mediums.While the pellucid Destiny was not itself an official government policy, it had a lively impact on the foreign policy of the U. S. and encouraged Westward colonization, territorial acquisition, and American thought during the 19th century. Westward expansion A. K. A. Manifest destiny lead to Americas rapid acquisition of the old Mexican Southwest and the surgery Territory that marked the fulfillment of President James K. Polks expansionistic break away promises.Polk ran on wholly one platf orm westward expansion. He wanted to officially claim the grey part of Oregon Territory annex the American Southwest from Mexico and annex Texas. Thus, Polks desire for land would eventually cause a great deal of suffering for umteen Mexicans, Native Americans and United States citizens. quest the earlier Texas War of Independence from Mexico, tensions between the two largest independent nations on the North American continent grew as Texas eventually became a U. S. state.Disputes over the surround 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 fundament mainly on Mexican soil. Partially because of disorganization and instability in the Mexican government, the war resulted in and American victory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the war, made the southern boundary of Texas the Rio Grande, gave atomic number 20 and New Mexico to the United States, and gav e $15 million to Mexico in compensation.Furthermore, the Manifest Destiny affected the foreign policy of the U. S. through Polk appointing John Slidell of lah as minister to Mexico, and instructing him to offer up 30 million dollars to settle the disputed claims and purchase California and New Mexicothe territory between Texas and California. 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 hit hard by the economic depression (known as the Panic of 1837)triggered for the most part by an over-speculation in federal lands.Missouri was the starting point of the 2,000 mile Overland Trail, traveled by Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger, and other mountain men. Commonly 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 moving that far west in Oregon only further supports that the Manifest Destiny impacted American thought and Westward colonization.Lastly, President James Polk used the cry of Manifest Destiny during his 1844 election, calling for the annexation of all told of Oregon, and Fifty Four Forty or Fight, both popular rallying cries supporting annexation. James K. Polks used the presidential bully pulpit and the cry of Manifest Destiny at different times, first with the British in attempts to gain Oregon and a couple historic period later to force 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.Through the Manifest Destiny, Americans were motivated to seek economic and land opportunities especially in California. For example, the fortunate Rush attracted an abundance of Americans to strike it rich. James Marshall found gold musical composition working for John Sutter at his ranch in northern California on January 24, 1848. He ha d been hired to build a mill for Sutter. This place would put in American lore as Sutters Mill. Word quickly spread through California, the rest of America and eventually the world and people flocked to California to make their fortune.In fact, according to some estimates, the population increased by 86,000 people in two years. Most of these treasure seekers left for California in 1849, hence our name for them 49ers. Next, the first lucky arrivals were able to find nuggets of gold in the streambeds. These people made quick fortunes. It was a unique time in history where individuals with literally nothing to their name could become extremely wealthy. The gold was free for whoever was lucky enough to find it. It is no surprise that gold febricity hit 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 merely were instead entrepreneurs who created businesses to support all of the prospectors. However, the Gold Rush reinforced the idea of Manifest Destiny. America was destined to span from Atlantic to Pacific, and the accidental discovery of Gold made California an even more essential part of the picture. Furthermore, the U. S. started an act called the Homestead Act.The Homestead Act stated that any White American that is over the age of 21 could move to the West side of the U. S. and own 160 acres of un-owned land if they wanted to. It also stated that a White American could get 160 acres of un-owned land and build a house on it then after 5-years it could be your land. The Homestead Act helped the western expansion in which was fueled by Manifest Destiny through the concept of how its the peoples God Given Right to own land. The Manifest Destiny also brought a strong feeling of Nationalism 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 spiri t of Manifest Destiny pervaded the United States during the Age of Reformthe decades prior to the Civil War. John L. OSullivan, editor program of the influential 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 overspread the continent deal by Providence 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 liberty and democratic institutions across the continent. Underlying this divine American mission was a feeling of cultural and even 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 nationalistic beliefs.