High School

How did the manifest destiny change the american spirit?

Answer :

Manifest Destiny imbued the American spirit with a sense of divinely sanctioned purpose, leading to an aggressive expansion that shaped the nation's boundaries and foreign relations while deepening internal divisions over issues like slavery.

The concept of Manifest Destiny profoundly changed the American spirit by infusing it with a strong sense of mission, purpose, and nationalistic fervor. As Americans embraced Manifest Destiny in the 1840s, they believed it was their divinely ordained right to expand westward and spread democratic institutions 'from sea to shining sea.' This ethos supported land expansion and was associated with the Americanization of Native Americans and Mexican residents in territories such as Texas, Oregon, and California. However, this aggressive expansionism raised complex questions about freedom, republicanism, and national security, and further deepened the divisions between free and slaveholding states.

Driven by both a secular and a theological vision, Americans saw the physical spread of the nation's boundaries as a means to spread freedom. The overwhelming popularity of Manifest Destiny played a crucial role in the finalization of the continental United States' boundaries, leading to the annexation of Texas and Oregon, and the acquisition of vast territories in the Southwest after the war with Mexico. Although popular, Manifest Destiny exacerbated internal divisions and affected foreign relations, influencing the views of European powers, Mexico, and Latin America towards the United States.

expantion seemed perfectly natural at the time