Manifest Destiny and westward expansion

Westward expansion in the 19th century was driven by a convergence of various social, economic and
political factors such as rapid population growth due to mass immigration from Europe which led to a
demographic crisis on the East Coast. The Louisiana Purchase, in 1803, drove the population, due to
increasing economic opportunities, to the west. Native American tribes, such as the Cherokee, Creek
and the Seminole, that lived of the east side of the Mississippi River (map) were seen as an obstacle for
expansion advocates as the land occupied by these tribes held potential for agriculture and mineral
resources. Those settlers established the phrase of manifest destiny in order to justify their actions. This
term simply meant that is that inevitable and evident that America was destined to expand westwards
across the continent. The Historian Thomas R. Hietala has debated that the concept of Manifest Destiny
gave Americans an „invaluable legitimizing myth of empire“, giving them the validation of taking over
whatever lands they desired. It was commonly thought, that America was destined for territorial
growth, the argument was made that the country couldn’t be blamed for seizing opportunities.
Consequently it was argued that American greed wasn’t responsible, rather, territorial expansion was
seen as an inevitable occurrence. The concept of Manifest Destiny contains multiple elements such as
nationalism, xenophobia and the belief that the United States have been specifically blessed and was the
recipient of a special divine province. Another key element of manifest destiny is the concept of the
empire of liberty. The widespread belief is that governments with imperial characteristics, such as the
United States at given time, tend to weaken the freedom of their citizens, however Thomas Jefferson and
other early American leaders envisioned the expansion of America as an empire of liberty. According to
this concept, the United States would expand their territory by potentially displacing neighboring native
tribes, although in the long term, integration into the American nation and society would benefit the
native tribes, allowing them to partake in the American political system and its strong emphasis on
freedom. To overcome legal issues, while expanding Americas territory, Andrew Jackson, a military
officer and governor, argued against the policy of negotiating treaties with Indian tribes as separate
nations, which was established in 282618. He made Indian removal a major campaign issue in the 1828
election, which eventually led to the signing of the Indian Removal Act in May 1830. The fundamental
purpose of this act was to forcibly relocate native american tribes living on lands in the west of the
Mississippi River. As result, various native tribes were fatally evicted, for instance the Cherokees forced
removal, called „The Trail of Tears“, being the most popular.( bis hier alles buch, an American expansion
von mark joy pre face und s. 42)