Question

Manifest Destiny. Describe the emergence of "Manifest Destiny" in the U.S. -tell us what it is, how it emerged, and explain how it impacted Native peoples in the U.S. (the Cherokee, Plains Indians, Native Peoples of the West,...) in the 19th century. Then explain how the U.S. came to take half of Mexico. Then tell us how the Mexican-American and Native American populations that lived in the territories that the U.S. took from Mexico in 1848 (California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas...) fared after1848. Explain each part with specific examples

Answer 1

Manifest destiny was a cultural belief held by citizens of the United States were destined by God; they were to expand towards entire North America to spread capitalism and democracy. Manifest destiny was championed in 1845, the phrase insisted on three main ideas, which comprised the distinct virtues of American institutions and residents, the American mission to control the Western region, and the sole aim to transform the West into a capitalist and democratic territory (Isenberg, Andrew and Thomas 15).  The Manifest destiny resulted in disputed ideology differences among the Americans since the ideology was adopted in justifying the genocide committed against the Native Americans.

Democrats advocated for the idea while prominent Americans like Ulysses and Lincoln opposed it. The aims of ideology brutally treated the Natives of the West region, Cherokee residents were exposed to war tension with the US in the 1800s, and they were later pushed out of their lands by Americans. Plan Indians and Native Americans to the West were also brutally mistreated and displaced from their lands due to territorial expansion. The US got into a war with the Mexicans and later won, which resulted in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 (Isenberg, Andrew, and Thomas 16). The US was granted the region of California, Nevada, Southwestern Colorado and Wyoming, and Utah hence dominating half of Mexico. The residents, who chose to live in territories conquered by the US, were more minor superior to White Americans.

Whites gained powers over residents, imposed unfair tax laws, and often penalized Americans who failed to raise the tax. Slavery was also practiced though Americans rejected it; the residents in territories were harshly treated and denied the right to vote (Shire & Laurel, 2016). The war presented an opportunity to own vast resources, ports, and minerals to the West; this resulted in Americans' disputes overuse of the resources acquired.

 Work Cited

Isenberg, Andrew C., and Thomas Richards Jr. "Alternative Wests: Rethinking Manifest Destiny." Pacific Historical Review 86.1 (2017): 4-17.

Shire, Laurel Clark. The Threshold of Manifest Destiny: Gender and National Expansion in Florida. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016.

 

Manifest destiny was a cultural belief held by citizens of the United States were destined by God; they were to expand towards entire North America to spread capitalism and democracy.