5 Questions
What were some of the debates that exposed weaknesses in the American system?
Debates over expansion, economics, diplomacy, and manifest destiny.
What did manifest destiny attempt to make a virtue of?
America’s lack of history and turn it into the very basis of nationhood.
According to proponents of manifest destiny, what was the United States the embodiment of?
The democratic ideal.
What new methods of transportation and communication helped Americans think across local identities and reaffirm a national character?
The rapidity of the railroad and the telegraph.
What did the sources demonstrate about antebellum American expansion?
They demonstrate conflicts over antebellum American expansion.
Study Notes
Debates and Weaknesses in the American System
- Debates exposed weaknesses in the American system, highlighting the need for reform and unity.
Manifest Destiny
- Manifest Destiny attempted to make a virtue of American territorial expansion, justifying westward expansion as a divine right.
- Proponents of Manifest Destiny believed the United States embodied liberty, democracy, and progress.
Transportation and Communication
- New methods of transportation (e.g., railroads, steamboats) and communication (e.g., telegraph) helped Americans transcend local identities and reaffirm a national character.
Antebellum American Expansion
- Sources demonstrated that antebellum American expansion was driven by a desire for territorial growth, economic opportunity, and the spread of American values.
Test your knowledge of American expansion and manifest destiny with this quiz! Explore the debates, controversies, and policies surrounding the United States' westward expansion and its impact on American values and diplomacy.
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