Manifest Destiny Research Paper

Words: 845
Pages: 4

In 1845, an influential columnist and editor, John L.O. Sullivan coined the term Manifest Destiny. This was the idea that the United States was “destined and ordained to expand democracy and capitalism across the North American continent” (Heidler 2024). The belief in Manifest Destiny is relevant today as it played a significant role in shaping American foreign policy. The growth of businesses during this time positively expanded markets and access to resources. Negatively, a decrease in experienced workers led to a cycle of instability. Therefore, during Manifest Destiny from the mid-19th to the 20th century, settlers and miners faced positive and negative effects in the western US. Manifest Destiny is referred to as the concept of American exceptionalism, that is, the …show more content…
This war allowed for more expansion of railroads, allowing more people to settle out west. After the Mexican-American War, California was one of the states that the USA took from Mexico. Following the war, gold was discovered in California in 1848 which led to many American settlers traveling west. The discovery of gold led to the Gold Rush, spurring a boom in mining businesses. As a result, this negatively affected the native people as many of them lost land in the Western states like California. "The native tribes of California lived by hunting and gathering abundant resources of the land" (PBS). The land the Native Americans used for gathering resources was taken, threatening their way of life. Businesses were the ones connecting the lands the USA took from Mexico with railroads to make it easier for settlers to go to the conquered western states. Continuing, the violent confrontations and forced relocations of Native American tribes led to a loss of skilled labor as there was “more land to settle, more farming land, and a vast base of inexperienced farmers” (Hecht