5 Questions
What were the three basic tenets of the concept of manifest destiny?
The inherent superiority of white Americans and their institutions, the mission of the United States to redeem and remake the West, an irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty
Who rejected the concept of manifest destiny?
Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant
When did manifest destiny become one of several major campaign issues?
During the 1844 presidential election
What was manifest destiny used to justify in the 1840s?
The Mexican–American War
"Manifest destiny" never became a national priority due to what internal limitation?
The issue of slavery
Study Notes
Manifest Destiny
- The three basic tenets of the concept of manifest destiny were: • The United States was destined to expand its territory • The expansion was not only justified but also inevitable • The US had a mission to spread American institutions and values
Opposition to Manifest Destiny
- The concept of manifest destiny was rejected by Abraham Lincoln, who considered it a threat to the unity of the country
Rise to Prominence
- Manifest destiny became one of several major campaign issues in the 1844 presidential election
Justification in the 1840s
- Manifest destiny was used to justify the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Territory in the 1840s
Limitations
- Manifest destiny never became a national priority due to the internal limitation of the division between the North and South over the issue of slavery
Test your knowledge about the 19th-century belief in the United States that White American settlers were destined to expand across North America, and its implications on American imperialism.
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