Advanced Placement U.S.

History
On
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Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. The concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century. Advocates of ii Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only wise but that it was readily apparent (manifest) and inexorable (destiny). There are three main themes associated with Manifest Destiny. They include the virtue of the American people and their institutions; the mission to spread these institutions, thereby redeeming and remaking the world in the image of the U.S.; and the destiny under God to do this work.

The religious fervor spawned by the Second Great Awakening created another incentive for the drive west. Indeed, many settlers believed that God himself blessed the growth of the American nation. The Native Americans were considered heathens. By Christianizing the tribes, American missionaries believed they could save souls and they became among the first to cross the Mississippi River. Economic motives were paramount for others. European trading companies dominated the fur trade since colonial times. German immigrant John Jacob Astor was one of the first American entrepreneurs to challenge the Europeans. He became a millionaire in the process. The desire for more land brought aspiring homesteaders to the frontier. When gold was discovered in California in 1848, the number of migrants increased even more. At the heart of manifest destiny was the pervasive belief in American cultural and racial superiority. Native Americans had long been perceived as inferior, and efforts to "civilize" them had been widespread since the days of John Smith and Miles Standish. The Hispanics who ruled Texas and the lucrative ports of California were also seen as "backward." v
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Where did this idea come from?

 i Used section handles to drag pictures and WordArt to make the size look good. ii Inserted and edited the Manifest Destiny image. iii Used the arrow in the drawing objects section iv Used a text box to add text inside the drawing object. (arrow) v To view and convert this to a webpage, change the type when you save it. (save as a web page.)