Manifest-Destiny

1ManifestDestinyThePhilosophyThatCreatedANationByMichaelT.LubraggeIntroductionThispapertakesaphilosophicalviewoftheManifestDestinyphenomenonandattemptstoprovidelogicalevidencethatManifestDestinycanbearguedasthesolereasonforwhyAmericaitselfhasahistory.FewAmericanshadeverassumedthattheboundariesoftheUnitedStateswouldstandforeverunchanged.ManifestDestinywasthedrivingforceresponsibleforchangingthefaceofAmericanhistory.Itwasthephilosophythatcreatedanation.ManifestDestiny--TheIntangibleOfAmericanHistoryAmericanhistorywasbuiltonachronologicalrecordofsignificantevents,eacheventhavingacauseandsubsequenteffectonanotherevent.Historicaleventsarepresentedinhistoryasbeingtangible,beingtiedtoadate,oranexacthappening.ManifestDestinyontheotherhand,isaphenomenon.Itcannotbetiedtoadate,eventorevenaspecificperiodoftime.ManifestDestinyexistedandstillexistsasthephilosophythatembracesAmericanhistoryasawhole.ManifestDestinyisanintangibleideologythatcreatedAmericanhistory.Initssimplestform,ManifestDestinycanbedefinedas,AMovement.Morespecifically,itwouldbethesystematicbodyofconceptsandbeliefsthatpoweredAmericanlifeandAmericanculture.CoiningthePhraseIn1845,ademocraticleaderandinfluentialeditorbythenameofJohnL.O'Sullivangavethemovementitsname.InanattempttoexplainAmerica'sthirstforexpansion,andtopresentadefenseforAmerica'sclaimtonewterritorieshewrote:....therightofourmanifestdestinytooverspreadandtopossessthewholeofthecontinentwhichProvidencehasgivenusforthedevelopmentofthegreatexperimentoflibertyandfederaltivedevelopmentofselfgovernmententrustedtous.Itisrightsuchasthatofthetreetothespaceofairandtheearthsuitableforthefullexpansionofitsprincipleanddestinyofgrowth.(Brinkley352)ManifestDestinybecametherallyingcrythroughoutAmerica.ThenotionofManifestDestinywaspublicizedinthepapersandwasadvertiseandarguedbypoliticiansthroughoutthenation.TheideaofManifestDestinyDoctrinebecamethetorch,thatlitthewayforAmericanexpansion.AMovementAsOldAsAmericaItselfAlthoughthemovementwasnamedin1845,thephilosophybehindManifestDestinyalwaysexistedthroughoutAmericanHistory.Forexample,in1818AndrewJackson,whiletakingabroadinterpretationofvagueinstructionsfromPresidentMonroe,ledmilitaryforcesintotheFloridasduringtheFloridacrisis.Inasystematicandruthlessway,hepunishedtheSeminalIndiansfortakinguparmswiththeSpanish,destroyedSpanishforces,andcapturedseveralcitiesandforts.(Demkin,Chapter8).AmericanswhohadmoralreservationsabouttheroughtacticsofJackson,soothedtheirconscienceswithafamiliar,butnotyetnamedphilosophy.Their2reasoning,theFloridaswerepartofAmericanterritory;therefore,destinyintendedthatAmericashouldhavethem.ThereasonwhyAmericanswhereinFloridainthefirstplace,isyetanotherexampleofManifestDestiny.ThepeopleofthedeepSouth,wantingmorefertileland,exercisewhattheyconsideredtobetheirright.Theplanterclass,withoutanypoliticalapprovalorpermission,justtookoverandstartedsettlingandplantingtheFloridaterritories.ThismovewasanexampleofthearrogancethattheAmericanshadtowardsexpansion.Americansbelievedthattheyhadarighttoanylandtheywanted.Firstusedin1845,thetermManifestDestinyconveyedtheideathattherightfuldestinyoftheUSincludedimperialisticexpansion.Thisideacertainlycontributedtoseveralwars.Forexample,in1846theUnitedStatesdeclaredwaronMexicoandproceededtowinmuchofwhatisnowtheSouthwesternUnitedStates.ThewarwithMexicowasjustoneoutofaseriesofaggressiveactsthatcanbetiedtoAmerica'sManifestDestiny.ManifestDestinyemergednaturallyandinevitabilityoutoffundamentalwantandneedtoexploreandconquernewlandsandestablishnewborders.Withthisgrowthcamemoral,cultural,socialideologicalandeconomicaldifferencesbetweenpeople,statesandcountries.WerethesedifferencesnotthereasonswhyAmericafoughtfortheirindependenceintheRevolutionaryWar?WerethesedifferencesnottheprimarycausefortheAmericanCivilWar?TheideaofManifestDestinyisasoldasAmericaitself.ThephilosophysailedwithChristopherColumbusacrosstheAtlantic.ItresidedinthespiritsoftheJamestowncolonistanditlandedatPlymouthRockwiththePilgrims.ItalsotraveledwiththefireandbrimstonepreachersduringtheGreatAwakeningandbuiltthefirstnationalroad.ThroughouthistorytherearenumerousexamplesofManifestDestiny.However,inearlyAmericanhistory,synonymswereusedtoexplainthenotyetnamedPhenomenon.Americanhistorybooksarefilledwithwordssuchas,Explorers,Frontier,Territories,Expansionism,Settlers,Idealism,SectionalismandImmigration.WithoutManifestDestiny,phrasesandtermssuchasBeyondtheGreatAmericanDesert,TheNorthWestPassage,andTheOregonTrail,wouldbejustemptyexamplesofwhiteman'stravels.ADisputedPhilosophyMuchofthetalkaboutManifestDestinyhadmanypeoplesuggestingthatAmericashouldassumetheroleasaworldpower.JamesMonroein1822echoedthisideainhisfamousMonroeDoctrinewhenhewarnedEuropeandtherestoftheworldtoStayoutoftheWesternHemisphere(DemkinChapter8).InthemonthsfollowingtheSpanish-AmericanWar,theideaofexpansionismgrewstrongeracrosstheUnitedStates.InCongress,legislatorscalledfortheannexationofallSpanishterritories.SomenewspapersevensuggestedtheannexationofSpainitself.ExpansionistssuchasRoosevelt,formerPresiden