The Impact of Manifest Destiny on The History of The United States

The United States of America has endured many substantial changes throughout its extensive history. Manifest Destiny played a huge role in making this great country what it is today. In the nineteenth century, Manifest Destiny was a phrase first used by an American journalist by the name of John Louis O'Sullivan. Manifest Destiny refers to the belief that Americans were destined to expand its territory and thus creating its own grand country. Manifest Destiny impacted several aspects of society such as attitudes towards patriotism as well as being the driving force which allowed slavery to expand to other parts of the country as well.

During the 1848 presidential election the expansion of slavery was a huge topic and issue that was discussed frequently. The expansion of slavery was important to both of the political sides, the new territories had to choose if they were going to be a free state or a slave state which could affect the current balance between the states. The expansion of slavery westward was a national debate which was tabled by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. However, the Missouri Compromise didn’t apply to the new states that did not participate in the Louisiana Purchase because of that the ongoing matter of slavery continued to intensify as the nation grew. Concurrently, the inquiry of whether or not slavery would be granted in the new western states shadowed the majority of conversions about the frontier.

As Northerners came to regard that the spreading of slavery impinged upon their own liberty, the pro-slavery in congress didn’t serve their interests. The North opposed the South anticipating the further abolishment of slavery. The South was already alarming secession over the issue. The American acquisition of the southwest not only encountered the constant debate on slavery, it made debated over disagreement which made it almost inevitable. The circumstances were; California was declared a free state, New Mexico and Utah were set up as territories; which means they had to decide on their own if they were going to be a free state or a slave state, however, both territories ended up permitting it. The idea of Manifest Destiny was a main influencer in the minds of the people, which promoted these movements of expansion and debates of slavery.

As a result of Manifest Destiny, land in the west was being sold for low cost, which intrigued many farmers. Many farmers began to move west and expand their farms into large fields, producing more crops. In some cases land could even be free. Americans took Texas and also fueled westward expansion to the Oregon Territory and the rest of the coast. Mexico allowed Americans to settle in Texas if they followed its rules and traditions. Nonetheless American settlers decided to follow their own ideals instead which was one of the major factors of the Mexican American war of 1846.

The Manifest Destiny had a huge impact on America, socially, economically and politically. The people were enthralled by the destiny they had in mind for their new country which lead to a booming economy. However, it also brought the tensions over land and slave rights, which led to the Mexican American war.