Abigail Jackson

Discuss the view that U.S. imperial expansion up to 1917 was commitment to the

principle of manifest destiny.

30marks

The ideology of manifest destiny dates itself back to colonialism. when Americans

believed they would be an example for the rest of the world. This ideology is evident in

democratic leader and editor John O’ Sullivan who coined the term manifest destiny in 1845;

when he wrote “our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole to our continent

which providence has given us for development of great experiment of liberty”. However,

historians came to the view that manifest destiny has been evident before 1845, for instance

in 1818 when Andrew Jackson led military force in Florida showing their manifest destiny to

intervene and expand. These principles under this ideology were the assumption that

Providence had intended the people of Anglo-Saxon descent in the United State to control the

entire North America from coast to coast. Although majority of the Americans embraced this

philosophy not everyone agrees for example William E. Channing who wrote in a paper in

1837 that United State should stop their career of acquisition and conquest. Hence they were

showing traits of European colonialism. However, it can be argued that the expansion of the

United States up to 1917 embodied the principle of Manifest Destiny. I contend that the

purchase of Louisiana which allowed expansion from east to west, the disputes of Oregon

territory, Mexican American and Spanish American war which occurred outside of North

American and Dollar Diplomacy which uses financial investment as an attempt to control

other nation; are noticeable commitment of principles of Manifest Destiny which express U.S

imperial expansion up to 1917.

In 1803 the U.S indicated their committed to expansion by purchasing Louisiana. This

territory was a part of France, North American colonies from 1680 to 1762. However, in

1763 France lost the seven-year war which was a global struggle for power between Britain
Abigail Jackson

and France; because of this lost France was afraid of Britain taking the land, France gave it to

Spain in the 1800, but bought it back when Napoleon French leader was in charge. They

bought back this territory to re-establish colonial power in North American, which later failed

because of disputes in one of their colonies and possibility of war against United Kingston.

Therefore, Napoleon seems to have no choice but sell this territory to United State for 15

million. This purchase expands the nation and gives them access to the Mississippi River for

trade and affirmed the ideology of Manifest Destiny that American were destined by God to

reign over the entire North America.

The manifest destiny principle made the Americans have a feeling of entitlement and

willing to push boundaries in order to obtain what they wanted. This is evident in the dispute

of the Oregon territory. This territory became focus of those who believed that it was United

State obligation and right to extend its rule and liberties across the North American continent.

Oregon territory of 1846 was split between Britain and United States which had vast

resources. Therefore, U.S president James K. Polk made it his goal to enforce manifest

destiny, no matter what the consequence even if it meant war. He told Britain that Oregon

territory would not be shared which led to war which ultimacy led to Oregon treaty 1846.

This treaty was an important event that happen to embody the principles of Manifest destiny.

Hence, U.S was willing to fight to expand westward.

The modus operandio of the U.S. was to expand the territories in the Western

Hemisphere, this was depicted in the Mexican American war in 1848. This took place

because of the annexation of Texas in 1845 which cause Mexico to terminate relations with

U.S. consequently U.S. president Polk attempted to negotiate terms with Mexico. However,

the Mexican refused which in turn made U.S considered going to war over disputes of land.

This consideration became reality when Mexican cross the Rio Grande and killed Americans

on their soil. However, this war ended with the treaty of Guadulupe Hidalgo. This treaty
Abigail Jackson

ceded upper California and New Mexico to United States. Following these events, it can be

assumed that this war was one of the most notable events influencing Manifest Destiny. This

war gave the United State a significant portion of land on foreign soil and set a precedent for

U.S. because it shows their commitment to expand and to become and imperial power.

The Spanish American war in 1898 was another major event that reaffirm U.S.

commitment to the principle of Manifest destiny. It is reasonable to argue that this was a

major turning point in history and their expansion ideology. It left the United State exercising

control or influence over islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, United State

expansion into the Western Hemisphere secured their position as an imperial power. The

source of this war is the hostility to autocratic Spanish rule in Cuba fighting for

independence, the violent conflict in Cuba captured U.S. interest because of the geographical

proximity and sensational press; yellow press a newspaper that reported news of the war.

United State took interest in Cuba because they invested 50 million and revolution was

threatening this investment and damaging business interest and there was a discussion that

independent Cuba could expand the U.S. market. In the early 1898 tension between U.S. and

Spain grew after U.S. battleship Maine exploded and sank in Havana harder mysterious

circumstances. President William McKinley tried to preserve the peace, but within a few

months, believing delay futile he recommended armed intervention, to grantee Cuba’s

independence. U.S. victory in the war produced a peace treaty that compelled the Spanish to

relinquished claims to Cuba and cede sovereignty over Guam, Puerto Rico and the

Philippines to the United State. The United State also annexed the independent state of

Hawaii during the conflict. The war enables the United State to establish its predominance in

the Caribbean region and establish the principles of manifest destiny with the expansion of

territories outside the North American continent.

Abigail Jackson

Ideology of manifest destiny is based on assumption that United State had the right

and even the obligation to expand its influence, this is evident in U.S. foreign policy Dollar

diplomacy 1909 which created by U.S. president William Howard Taft. to create stability and

order aboard that would best promote American commercial interest. Dollar Diplomacy

sought to replace U.S military and wishes to remove European intervention in Latin America.

This policy was evident in extensive U.S intervention in the Caribbean and Central America

for example whenever their business interest was threatened in places like Dominican

Republic, the United State would use military force to protect their interest. These aims of

dollar diplomacy is an example of manifest destiny where Americans thought they had the

right to intervene in other countries and to dominate them politically because they deemed

their culture superior.

It can conclude that the expansion by United States were commitment to the

principles of Manifest destiny. However, critics of manifest destiny argued that Americans

were not at all destined by God to create an empire, but it was the way they carried out their

actions in each sphere that led them to believe they were destined to create an empire, these

ideologies moulded the Americans perspectives and created U.S. into an imperial nation.