Manifest Destiny and Foreign Policy - 1135 Words

Manifest Destiny and Foreign Policy The term Manifest Destiny, which American writer John L. OSullivan first used in the New York Democratic Review in 1845. , describes what most 19th-Century Americans believed was their God-given mission to expand westward, occupy a continental nation, and extend U.S. constitutional government to unenlightened peoples. The idea was the driving force behind the rapid expansion of America into the West from the East, and it was heavily promoted in newspapers, posters, and through other mediums. While the Manifest Destiny was not itself an official government policy, it had a critical impact on the foreign policy of the U.S. and encouraged Westward colonization, territorial acquisition, and American†¦show more content†¦For example, the Gold Rush attracted an abundance of Americans to strike it rich. James Marshall found gold while working for John Sutter at his ranch in northern California on January 24, 1848. He had been hired to build a mil l for Sutter. This place would enter American lore as Sutters Mill. Word quickly spread through California, the rest of America and eventually the world and people flocked to California to make their fortune. In fact, according to some estimates, the population increased by 86,000 people in two years. Most of these treasure seekers left for California in 1849, hence our name for them: 49ers. Next, the first lucky arrivals were able to find nuggets of gold in the streambeds. These people made quick fortunes. It was a unique time in history where individuals with literally nothing to their name could become extremely wealthy. The gold was free for whoever was lucky enough to find it. It is no surprise that gold fever hit so heavily. Yet the majority of those who made the journey out West were not so lucky. The individuals who became the richest were in fact not these early miners but were instead entrepreneurs who created businesses to support all of the prospectors. However, the Gold Rush reinforced the idea of Manifest Destiny. America was destined to span from Atlantic to Pacific, and the accidental discovery of Gold made California an even more essentialShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy Of The Monroe Doctrine1195 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica saw South and Central America as perfect candidates to extract resources and sell U.S. goods. The culture of capitalism was on the rise. The start of Manifest Destiny began to construct U.S. foreign policy which led to America reaching towards the Caribbean and Latin America to expand. Firstly, If God and mission was the road to Manifest Destiny, Imperialism was the light that shined bright to lead the way (Lubragge). America started off by investing in businesses and land all around Latin AmericaRead MoreThe Evolution of Manifest Destiny831 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the nineteenth century, manifest destiny became a particularly common concept. This idea stated that Americans were destined to expand across the western frontier and the world because the â€Å"superior† Anglo-Saxon race had received God’s divine blessing to do so. The idea first came about during the American Revolution in the 1700s and continued through such events as the Civil War and other nineteenth century conflicts. Americans became involved with Cuba, the Philippines and their turmoilRead MoreAmerican Foreign Policy in World War II Essay examples1626 Words   |  7 Pages Foreign Policy As we approach the next Presidential election the topic of American foreign policy is once again in the spotlight. 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Although the military power was not fully there during this time period, their ideals and foreign policy were made known by as early as 1823. The Monroe Document of 1823 is the best known United States policy toward the Western Hemisphere. After Declaring the United States interest of the western hemisphere, it warned Europe to not interfere with any new developing nation. Because the United StatesRead MoreManifest Destiny1327 Words   |  6 PagesManifest Destiny is a term used to describe the reason behind the US expansion into the West. What are the social, political and economical effects of this idea on the people living in the United States colonies and the West? Manifest Destiny is a term coined by John L. Sullivan in 1845 when talking about the annexation of Texas. He believed, along with other expansionists, that it’s inevitable that the US population would spread across North America because the land is given by Providence toRead MoreManifest Destiny Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pagesideas, that would evolve into the American ideology known today as Manifest Destiny. Still, it was not until 1834 that the newspaper editor, John L. OSullivan, is believed to have first coined the phrase â€Å"Manifest Destiny† when he said in his article Annexation, ...our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions (OSullivan 2). Manifest Destiny produced many conflicts, like the Mexican American War, caused the