Download US History Name: Regents Prep Date: Period: ___ Lesson #12

US History
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Regents Prep
Date: _________________ Period: ___
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Lesson #12 Notes: Manifest Destiny and Beyond
Manifest Destiny
The Manifest Destiny philosophy grew out a young America's desire for
territorial expansion in the first half of the 19th century (1800's).
Americans believed (as the term implied) that it was the fate or destiny
of the United States to grow from ocean to ocean, all that was needed
was the will and desire to manifest or make happen the obvious. While
the origins of the philosophy are unclear, the reasoning behind it is
plain.
Reasoning behind Manifest Destiny:
 Americans had constantly desired more land, constantly expanding the bounds of the colonies
in an effort to grow, mainly for increased or better farmland as well as to accommodate a
steady flow of immigrants.
 Businesses and business people saw westward expansion as opening new demand for products,
as well as opening up new sources of raw materials and goods.
 As the US economic and manufacturing power grew, the desire for new markets, particularly in
Eastern Asia, drove the desire for a ports and access via the west coast.
 Americans also believed that it was a duty of America to spread its government, religions and
ideals to all reaches of the western territories.
Key developments in Manifest Destiny:
 1803 - THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE served as the first great expansion of the US
territory. Purchased by Thomas Jefferson from Napoleon of France for $15 million, the
Louisiana Territory effectively doubled the size of the nation, added thousands of French and
Spanish settlers to the American populous and gave the US full control of the Mississippi
river and its key ports.
 1845 - THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS added the independent nation of Texas (which had
just declared independence from Mexico) into the United States as the 28th state. The
annexation further aggravated poor relations with Mexico and would precipitate the MexicanAmerican War.
 1846 - THE OREGON TERRITORY a dispute between the US and Britain was peacefully
resolved by an 1846 treaty that settled the northern border at the 49th parallel, effectively
the same US/Canadian border of today.
 1848 - THE MEXICAN CESSION ended the Mexican-American War that had raged
from 1845-1847. Under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which formally
ended the war, Mexico agreed to surrender nearly all of its territory north of the Rio Grande
river in exchange for $15 million. The territory included what was to become the states New
Mexico, Arizona and California.
 1853 - THE GADSEN PURCHASE allowed the United States to purchase a small strip of
land in lower Arizona and New Mexico that seemed well suited for construction of the
Transcontinental Railroad from the Mexicans for $10 million.
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Native Americans
From 1830 to 1890, the federal government systematically pushed Native
Americans from their lands onto government reservations west of the Mississippi
River. In 1832, this policy was supported by President, even though the Supreme
Court in Worcester v. Georgia directed the state of Georgia to stop forcibly
removing native Americans. At this time, white settlers began pushing into the
Great Plains. Soldiers tried to keep travel routes open for the migrating settlers,
and often battled the Native Americans for control of those areas. As noted above,
fighting between U.S. Army troops and Indians continued throughout the 1860s
and 1870s.
The Homestead Act of 1862 promised to give 160 acres of federally-owned land to settlers for free
if they could farm it for five years. This encouraged thousands of settlers to move into formally
Indian-controlled lands, displacing the natives, and further straining relations with Native
Americans. When the first trans-continental railroad was completed in 1869, native lands seemed
even more desirable, and movement westward increased.
By 1871, Native Americans had been made "wards of the state" by the federal government. They could
no longer make individual treaties with the federal government, and most lived on federal
reservations. The Dawes Act of 1887 tried to "Americanize" Indians by abolishing all tribes, and
giving former members 160-acre farms (on the reservation) that they would own outright after 25
years.
The Dawes Act , and others like it, were supposed to provide a road to American citizenship, but more
often destroyed native cultures. It was not until 1924 that all Native Americans were made legal
citizens of the Unites States. It was only in 1934 that natives were given legal right to sovereignty, the
right to self-rule, on the reservations.
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States by purchasing the
Louisiana Territory from the French. This purchase troubled Jefferson somewhat because he used his
presidential treaty-making powers to craft the agreement. He considered this to be a loose
interpretation of these powers, and he believed that the Constitution should be interpreted strictly.
Missouri Compromise
In 1820, the first of several debates over the
expansion of both the United States and the
institution of slavery took place. Missouri wished to
enter the union as a slave state, however, this would
grant slave-holding states the majority in the Senate.
This arrangement was unacceptable to the industrial
North, which did not depend upon slavery as the
South did. Congress passed the Missouri
Compromise which would allow Missouri to enter as a
slave-holding state and Maine as a free state. This act
also banned slavery in the Louisiana Territory north
of the 36 degree 30 minute line of latitude which was the southern border of Missouri.
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Mexican-American War
From 1846 - 1868, the US and Mexico fought a war over control of the modern US Southwest. Mexico
had long encouraged American settlers to move into its Texas territory to serve as a buffer between
Native Americans and Mexican citizens, but Americans soon resisted Mexican control, especially its
attempts to force Catholicism, Spanish, and abolition on settlers. In 1836, Texas broke away from
Mexico and formed an independent nation, the Lonestar Republic; in 1846, it was annexed (added) to
the US as a state, sparking the war. Mexico refused to recognize Texas’ annexation and after a violent
clash between both countries’ forces, war broke out. In the aftermath of the US victory, it gained
control of present day Arizona, New Mexico, and California, as well as parts of Utah, Nevada, and
Colorado through the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo; the annexation of disputed territories through the
Gadsden Purchase gave the US more territory in the Southwest. It was an enormous victory for the
US as it completed the US’ goal of expanding from ocean to ocean and total control of the lower 48
states. Yet, despite the benefits of expansion, it created new problems, especially as slavery began
expanding west and territories began petitioning for statehood.
Compromise of 1850
The California gold rush in the late
1840s and the acquisition of new
territory of Utah and New Mexico
after the Mexican-American War
required Congress to analyze the
intertwined issues of expansion
and slavery again since the
Missouri Compromise only applied
to the Louisiana Territory.
This time, Congress allowed
California to be admitted as a free
state and southerners were granted
a stricter fugitive slave law
allowing them to recapture their
property, even in the North.
Finally, popular sovereignty would allow the people living in the Utah and New Mexico territories
to vote on the issue of slavery when they entered the union as states.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
In 1854, Congress decided to extend popular
sovereignty to the unsettled areas of the
Louisiana Purchase, now know as the Kansas
and Nebraska territories. This act led to
violence and a pre-cursor to the Civil War as
pro-abolition and pro-slavery forces flooded
Kansas to sway the vote, in what became
known as Bloody Kansas.
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Further Expansion
The United States also went on to acquire Alaska and Hawaii which also became states. Imperialism
also resulted in the possession or control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands, and the
Panama Canal.
IMPERIALISM:
By the middle of the 1890's the American western frontier was viewed by many as being "closed". This
was seen as the fulfillment of the westward expansions started under the banner of "manifest
destiny". The public perception of the "closing of the west", along with the philosophy of Social
Darwinism, contributed to a desire for continued expansion of American lands and the spreading of
American culture. The result was a shift in US foreign policy at the end of the 19th century from a
reserved, homeland concerned republic to an active imperial power.
Monroe Doctrine: fearing European influence in the Western Hemisphere, President James
Monroe issued a statement to Congress that later earned the name “Monroe Doctrine.” He declared
Latin America (Central and South Americas) closed to European colonization; in turn, the US would
stay away from Europe and its Asian/African colonies. The major drawback to the declaration was
the US’ lack of firepower – its military wasn’t advanced enough to defend its claim. In the early
1900s, after winning the Spanish-American War and beginning its climb to superpower, President
Theodore Roosevelt issued the Roosevelt Corollary (addition) to the Monroe Doctrine,
explaining that the US would now use force to remove European influences from Latin America. It
proved to be a successful policy for the US, especially with the addition of the Panama Canal in later
years.
The Spanish-American War
The "USS Maine" pictured here in Havana Harbor, Cuba
The Spanish-American war heralded the start of the era of American Imperialism. In the shadow of
the expanding empires of Europe, an America that now stretched from sea to shining sea was desiring
to still grow. In the fall out of the Spanish-American War, the US took control of Spanish possessions
in the Pacific and gained economic/political control of Cuba and its sugar trade until the Communist
Revolution and the Philippines’ successful independence movement in the 1950s.
Causes of the Spanish-American War:
 Cuban Revolution - The Spanish suppression of an on-going Cuban revolution gave the
cause of war an air of independence and freedom. Aiding the Cubans, who's suffering was
exaggerated by the Yellow Press of the day, became a reason for war with the Spanish.
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
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Yellow Journalism - The newspaper circulation war had already begun long before a shot
was fired in 1898. William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer used hyperbole, lies
and sensational violence in order to increase sales of their NY papers. The often times untrue
stories of the Spanish brutality in Cuba served to outrage many Americans and increased the
call for war.
Sinking of the USS Maine - The US warship USS Maine was stationed in the harbor of
Havana, Cuba when it exploded, killing over 260 Americans. The Yellow Press ran immediate
headlines blaming the Spanish for the explosion, however a conclusive reason behind the
Maine disaster is still unknown. Regardless, the act was clearly sparked an immediate call for
war with the Spanish.
US Desires to Expand - Many American leaders who wanted the US to expand her reach
across the globe, recognized that defeating a weak Spanish Empire offered an opportunity to
gain territories outside north America. These territories would then provide access to world
markets for growing manufacturing by US industries.
US Imperial Gains, Late 19th to Early 20th Century:
 1898:
o US Annexes Hawaii after a US supported revolution against the Queen.
o US acquires control of: Puerto Rico, Guam and The Philippines from Spain in
the 1898 Treaty of Paris.
 1899:
o US acquires control of: Samoa and Wake Island in the Pacific for use as military and
trade ship refueling stops
 1903:
 Panama Canal Zone is acquired following the US backed Panamanian Revolution
against Columbia.
 1917:
o Virgin Islands purchased from Denmark
US Expands Control in Latin America
Following the transformation to a world power, brought about by the events surrounding and
following the Spanish-American War, the US sought to further extend its control over the nearby
territories of Latin America.
This policy expansion was mostly at the urging of President Theodore Roosevelt, who worked to
increase US presence in Latin America via his Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
The Corollary expanded on the statements of President Monroe by stating that not only would Latin
America be considered a vital US interest and European interference there considered a threat to the
United States, but the US would and could actively intervene in Latin America to protect those
interests.
US History
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Regents Prep
Date: _________________ Period: ___
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Classwork #12 Notes: Manifest Destiny and Beyond
Complete the following activities to gain a better understanding of how the Manifest Destiny affected
the US’ growth as a nation.
1. In a paragraph of at least three sentences, define “manifest destiny” in your own words.
2. Examine the examples of manifest destiny in the United States. For each example, discuss in a
paragraph of at least five sentences and using evidence from the reading:
 Conflicts that arose from the US expanding West
 How the conflicts were solved
 How the conflicts/examples affected the US’s growth as a nation
3. As the US moved west, it encountered new peoples as well as new land. In a paragraph of at least
five sentences, explain how Native Americans were affected by Manifest Destiny.
4. Create a flow chart explaining the effects on US growth of territory added by the Louisiana
Purchase and Mexican-American War
Louisiana Purchase
(doubled size of US)
Effects:
Mexican-American War
(added new territories on
West Coast and Southwest)
Effects:
5. Analyze the causes of the Spanish-American War. In a paragraph of at least five sentences,
discuss how regular American citizens contributed to the US going to war.
6. Analyze the “Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.” In two paragraphs of at least five
sentences each, discuss how the Roosevelt Corollary is still implemented by the US government
today AND how imperialism affects our lives today.