Olivia Solverson

SAQ Manifest Destiny

1. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Define Manifest Destiny.
i. Manifest Destiny is the belief that Americans are God’s chosen people. This
belief also states that the American people should expand from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and span the length of North America.
b) Give at least ONE piece of evidence of how the idea of Manifest Destiny served to
guide the practice of the American government.
i. One example of Manifest Destiny guiding the American government is seen in
the presidency of James K. Polk. Polk’s plan for his presidency included
expanding and taking over Oregon and California. This would connect the United
States to the Pacific, thereby fulfilling manifest destiny.
c) Evaluate the impact of Manifest Destiny on ONE of the following, making sure to
provide at least ONE piece of evidence to support your description: The American
economy, American foreign policy, or The American Indians
i. Manifest Destiny had a huge impact on the American Indians. These people were
continuously being pushed more and more west by US frontiersmen. The
continual westward expansion of the US forced the Indians into reservations. A
specific example of the suffering brought upon Indians is seen in the Trail of
Tears, brought upon by Jackson’s policy that Indians had to give up land east of
the Mississippi River and move West. Thousands of Indians died on this march.
Manifest Destiny had a huge negative impact on American Indians.