Manifest Destiny
Map of United States Circa 1830
American Progress – Manifest Destiny
1.
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What is going on? Who is in this? What is happening?
What is Manifest Destiny?
What is “Manifest Destiny?”
•Belief that the US should expand its territory from coast to coast
•It was “Obvious” that the United States should expand its territory.
"(It is) ..our manifest destiny to over spread and
to possess the whole of the continent which
Providence has given us for the development
of the great experiment of liberty"
-John O'Sullivan
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What is Manifest Destiny?
1. Belief that white Americans had a God-given right to occupy the entire North
American continent.
2. Manifest Destiny was exercised in 1492 by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish
monarchs.
3. Pilgrim Fathers when they landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
4. Any act of colonization and settlement at the expense of another race can be said to
be an expression of Manifest Destiny.
Once the concept had been given the name 'Manifest Destiny' it became widely used,
appearing in newspapers, debates, paintings and advertisements. It became the leading
light for westward expansion
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The Homestead Act
•1841
•Government of America passed an act that allowed people to purchase 160
acres of Plains land for a very small price
•Act passed in 1862 divided 2.5 million acres of Plains land into sections or
homesteads of 160 acres
•People could now claim 160 acres of land
•The only requirement on their part was that they paid a small administration
charge and built a house and lived on the land for at least 5 years
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1776
A - 13 Original Colonies
From Where?
•Great Britain
Why?
•US declared
independence from
Great Britain
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A
US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1783
B - Western Lands
From Where?
•Great Britain
Why?
•Part of results of
Treaty of Paris
(ended
Revolutionary War)
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A
B
US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1803
C - Louisiana Purchase
From Where?
•France
Why?
•Napoleon needed $
•Jefferson wanted to
buy New Orleans
•He got all of this
instead!
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C
A
B
US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1819
D - Florida
From Where?
•Spain
Why?
•Andrew Jackson
invaded
•Spain then sold it to
us for $5 million
C
A
B
D
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US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1845
E - Texas
From Where?
•Republic of Texas (Independent Country)
Why?
•Texas independent from
Mexico in 1836
•Northerners feared it would
become a slave state
•Fears finally overcome in
1944 Presidential election
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C
E
A
B
D
US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1846
F - Oregon Territory
From Where?
•Great Britain
Why?
•Claimed by four countries
(G. Britain, Russia, Spain, &
US)
•Americans demanded
“54° 40’ or fight!”
•Britain compromised 49°
& US accepted
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F
C
E
A
B
D
US Territorial Expansion
When?
•1848
G - Mexican Cession
From Where?
•Mexico
Why?
•Polk offers to buy G from
Mexico & they refuse
F
C
•War!
•US wins
•In Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, US offers $15
million for G
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G
E
A
B
D