The gained lands of West Florida and Texas were part of America’s scramble for property, puzzle pieces to ultimately collect into the country’s Manifest Destiny dreams. However, the pursuits of these lands reveal the ambiguous and debatable moralities guiding their annexation. The military force used in possessing West Florida painted against willing annexation of Texas from her citizens exposes the interconnected political agendas conflicted in the American dream of Manifest Destiny. Of course, the obvious connecting thread between the two acquisitions is the heavy involvement of Andrew Jackson. In 1816, when the First Seminole War began, Jackson controversially raided several Spanish Forts after President Monroe gave him consent to prevent…show more content… Regarding the purchase of Spanish Florida, a great sense of hypocrisy should be noted on America’s behalf. The citizens of Spanish Florida were fighting for independence, an ideal that, on the surface should provoke sympathy from Americans; however, given the citizens fighting were not white, upper class males, this hypocrisy can be somewhat understood, though not acceptable. The true drive, especially from westerner Andrew Jackson, was doing whatever possible to gain new lands for personal profit. This clashes with the drive that lead to Texas’ admission, as this process was stalled until three presidents after Jackson leaves office. Annexing Texas earlier than the presidency of Tyler would have added miles and miles of land to U.S. territory; however, the debate over Texas became a central focus in the issue of slavery. Miles of land would be admitted, but as a slave state. This would mean more political power for conservative, slave owning southerners who moved into Texas and then took legislative seats in Congress. Land became a focal point of America’s political parties, the Democrats, and the Whigs, over who would have the most power in
