Territorial Expansion Argumentative Analysis

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In the centuries preceding the Civil War, territorial expansion was a topic of thorough discussion. Some of the argument was over states that included slavery, and states that outlawed. A great deal of the discussion, however, was much deeper. Although the opponents of expansion were successful at first, the supporters eventually won out. The opponents of expansion brought up many valid points which held back the American dream of manifest destiny for many years. In 1803, the beginning of the desire for manifest destiny, a purchase was made by Thomas Jefferson; the Louisiana Purchase. The debate over the Louisiana Purchase went hand in hand with the territorial expansion debate in whole. Just as James Elliot had said in a Congressional debate,
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Territorial Expansion Argumentative Analysis

The benefits of territorial expansion did not outweigh the costs because of the many lives that were lost and injustices such as the ones against Native Americans. Many Americans were motivated to move west because of the desire for farmland, gold, or a new life. Many Americans also believed in the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, that it was the United States' fate to expand its borders from the east to the west. However, these benefits did not outweigh the costs. The biggest of these costs was the…

Words 384 - Pages 2