Manifest Destiny Research Paper

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Finn Mehren, Kaleb Williams, Oscar Anaya 05-17-2024 Hour 3 Negative Justification of Manifest Destiny.

Introduction to Case: Manifest Destiny, which was the idea that Americans were destined to expand westward, was a 19th century concept created to cover up the harsh reality that the expansion of American territory was encroaching on native lands and tribes. Americans began to believe expansion was both justified and inevitable. The Declaration of Independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”. Not only does this quote contradict the Manifest Destiny, it denies it. Manifest Destiny claims that God gave ONLY Americans the right to expand westward. By …show more content…
Extinction of different animal species, such as the American Buffalo, whose population went from roughly 60 million in 1800 to an all-time low of 541 in 1889 as a result of manifest destiny. The American buffalo, which was once a symbol of hope and untamed American wildlife on the frontier, was on the verge of becoming extinct. The manifest destiny concept promoted expansion and the settlement of Americans on already occupied land. America kills an estimated 2 million buffalo per year during peak manifest destiny. That's 5,000 buffalo killed a day. This mass slaughter may have provided a temporary economic boost for some settlers, it led to the near extinction of one of America's most significant natural resources. The story of the American buffalo is an important reminder of the long-term ecological damage that can result from shortsighted policies and actions that don’t account for future generations and the future of our
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