Manifest Destiny

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Manifest Destiny
Map of United States Circa 1830
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What is Manifest Destiny?
American Progress Color Lithograph by George A.
Crofutt and John Gast
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American Progress Manifest Destiny

1. Who is in the Painting?

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American Progress Manifest Destiny

• 2. What is going on in the scene?

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American Progress Manifest Destiny

• 3. Why are they doing that?

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American Progress Manifest Destiny

• 4. If the painting is about Manifest Destiny
  What is Manifest Destiny

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What is Manifest Destiny?

• Belief that the US should expand its territory
  from coast to coast
• It was Obvious that the United States should
  expand its territory.

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Understanding Manifest Destiny

• "(It is) ..our manifest destiny to over spread
  and to possess the whole of the continent which
  Providence has given us for the development of
  the great experiment of liberty"
• -John O'Sullivan
• Democrat
• Editor of 'The Morning Post'

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What is Manifest Destiny?

1. Belief that white Americans had a God-given right
   to occupy the entire North American continent.
2. Manifest Destiny was exercised in 1492 by
   Christopher Columbus and the Spanish monarchs.
3. Pilgrim Fathers when they landed at Plymouth Rock
   in 1620.
4. Any act of colonisation and settlement at the
   expense of another race can be said to be an
   expression of Manifest Destiny.

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Manifest Destiny in 1840s America

• Once the concept had been given the name
  'Manifest Destiny' it became widely used,
  appearing in newspapers, debates, paintings and
  advertisements. It became the leading light for
  westward expansion

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The Homestead Act

• 1841
• Government of America passed an act that allowed
  people to purchase 160 acres of Plains land for a
  very small price
• Act passed in 1862 divided 2.5 million acres of
  Plains land into sections or homesteads of 160
  acres
• People could now claim 160 acres of land
• The only requirement on their part was that they
  paid a small administration charge and built a
  house and lived on the land for at least 5 years

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So, How has our nation grown?
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
A - 13 Original Colonies

• 1776

From Where?

• Great Britain

Why?

• US declared independence from Great Britain

A
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
B - Western Lands

• 1783

From Where?

• Great Britain

Why?

• Part of results of Treaty of Paris (ended
  Revolutionary War)

A
B
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
C - Louisiana Purchase

• 1803

From Where?

• France

Why?

• Napoleon needed
• Jefferson wanted to buy New Orleans
• He got all of this instead!

A
C
B
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
D - Florida

• 1819

From Where?

• Spain

Why?

• Andrew Jackson invaded
• Spain then sold it to us for 5 million

A
C
B
D
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Thinking Question

• (dont write this down!! Just think!)
• Why werent Americans happy with the size of
  their country at this point in their history?

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US Territorial Expansion
When?
E - Texas

• 1845

From Where?

• Republic of Texas (Independent Country)

Why?

• Texas independent from Mexico in 1836
• Northerners feared it would become a slave state
• Fears finally overcome in 1944 Presidential
  election

A
C
B
E
D
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
F - Oregon Territory

• 1846

From Where?

• Great Britain

Why?

• Claimed by four countries (G. Britain, Russia,
  Spain, US)
• Americans demanded 54 40 or fight!
• Britain compromised 49 US accepted

F
A
C
B
E
D
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
G - Mexican Cession

• 1848

From Where?

• Mexico

Why?

• Polk offers to buy G from Mexico they refuse
• War!
• US wins
• In Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, US offers 15
  million for G

F
A
C
B
G
E
D
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