The Idea of Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

1
The Idea of Manifest Destiny and Westward
Expansion

• How and why did the U.S. expand West in the
  1800s?
• Why does this matter?
• What is the U.S.s destiny (fate or job?) today?

2
What is Manifest Destiny?
Destiny your fate, what you are meant to
do Manifest from God In the 1800s, many
Americans believed that God had a specific
destiny for the U.S. Can you figure out what
that destiny was from this image?
3
??? by John Gast, 1872
4
??? by John Gast, 1872
5
??? by John Gast, 1872
In Gasts view, why might be Americas Manifest
Destiny?
6
American Progress by John Gast, 1872Connect
the title to the concept of Manifest Destiny
7
How and why do you think we obtained the land
West of the Rockies?

• In 1803, all the land West of the Rockies
  (including Texas) was controlled by Spain
• By 1820, it was controlled by Mexico (they won
  their independence from Spain)
• By 1846, the United States claimed it was
  American land.

8
Why the West?

• In the 1830s and 1840s, many Americans believed
  in the idea of manifest destiny
• In general, manifest destiny means obvious fate
  or Gods goal.
• More specifically, Americans thought it was their
  fate to spread white American culture and
  Christianity across the continent and control the
  land from Atlantic to Pacific.

9
4 Reasons Americans Believed in Manifest Destiny

• 1. It is good to spread DEMOCRACY.
• 2. We had more FREEDOM than others. It is good to
  spread it.
• 3. We were more CIVILIZED.
• 4. God gave Americans the privilege of spreading
  American culture to less civilized people. By
  the 1890s, one author, Rudyard Kipling called
  this White Mans Burden meaning it was the job
  of white people to help others.

10
Besides Manifest Destiny, why expand?

• More land for farming
• Financial problems (Panic of 1837) caused
  unemployment. People wanted to go west to start a
  new life on cheap land.
• If we could control California, we could trade
  more easily with Asian nations.
• Some Americans worried that England would try to
  take over Texas and California from Mexico, who
  owned both lands by the 1820s.

11
Alexis Rockman in 2004. What is progress? Where
are we headed as a country, according to Rockman?
12
Reflection Questions

• How do you think US neighbors (Canada, Mexico)
  felt about the idea of Manifest destiny?
• Do you think that people in our nation today
  believe in the idea of the US having a Manifest
  Destiny?
• If we really think the US has the most fair
  society, most freedoms, etc. should we try to
  spread those ideas to other nations?