Manifest Destiny Student Docs PDF

Manifest Destiny American Progress. This painting, American Progress, by John Gast was done in 1872. Study the image and fill in the table. What do you see? What does this make What does it make you think? you wonder?...

Manifest Destiny American Progress. This painting, American Progress, by John Gast was done in 1872. Study the image and fill in the table. What do you see? What does this make What does it make you think? you wonder? © 2023 iCivics, Inc. Anticipation Activity  Name __________________________ Manifest Destiny Quite a Growth Spurt... Young Nation Seeks Growth Opportunity Imagine you’ve just created a brand new nation. It’s based on freedom and equality, where citizens control the government and are free to succeed. It’s free residents believe it is the greatest nation on earth, and believe that their way of life (religion, economics, and culture) is the best. But the nation is still pretty small. If it was able to grow, more people could benefit. It could be a giant land of freedom and equality, and united in a way of life! Many thought that this nation was meant to grow... a lot. Size of the U.S. in 1789 is Welcome to the concept of manifest destiny — the idea held by many in power 864,746 square miles. that America was meant to grow so democracy and freedom could spread. Now Size of the U.S. today is imagine that you were part of a culture that is not included in this grand vision. That 3,531,905 square miles complicates it a bit, doesn’t it? All Citizens = All People? All About Those Rights When the colonists declared independence from Great Britain, they were Not really. In this period, only determined to be free from abusive British rule. They demanded liberty and white men who owned land were granted the full rights equality, which they saw as naturally belonging to all citizens. For them, equality of citizenship. meant every citizen had the same rights, instead of a few “noble” families having special privileges that “common” people did not. Liberty meant citizens had the freedom to govern themselves and to do what they wanted with their lives. These ideas only extended to the former colonists. As the power shifted to the new government, other groups became excluded: enslaved people, indigenous and free-African residents. Nevertheless, many Americans believed they were creating a nation that fulfilled a divine purpose—one that had God on their side. And they felt that God wanted them to grow and spread the ideas of the new United States. Destined to Grow? From its very first days, the U.S. began to expand its territory. At the end of the Revolutionary War (1783), the British gave over control of enough land that America doubled in size right away. There was never any question that Americans would expand into this newly acquired land. It wasn’t long before the U.S stumbled on a chance to buy some extra territory previously occupied by France and Spain. In 1803 America doubled its size again! Now the nation spread half way across the continent. For a few decades after this, growth basically stopped. But by the 1840s, more and more Americans moved west, Control of Land, Control of Resource and many United States leaders were itching to get their hands on more territory. Minerals Manifest Destiny Trade routes It was during this time that newspaperman John O’Sullivan first used the phrase Agriculture “manifest destiny”. O’Sullivan was tired of the long debate over Texas becoming part Lumber of the United States. While Congress dragged its feet, other countries were trying to Hunting & Trapping make deals with Texas. O’ Sullivan said these other nations had the goal of “limiting Open Space our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence...” Manifest means obvious. Destiny means a future that has already been determined by a divine source (God). O’Sullivan was saying America was being stopped from doing what it was destined to do: take over the continent. This belief was shared by many looking to make their fortune in the new areas. But it was a threat to those cultures living on the land at the time. © 2023 iCivics, Inc. 1  Name __________________________ Manifest Destiny About That Whole “Overspreading” Thing... It sounds pretty bad. O’Sullivan didn’t believe the U.S. should just attack its National Museum of American History neighbors, take their land, and be done with it. He believed that taking over would happen naturally as Americans occupied new areas. (He didn’t stop to consider those already living on the land.) O’Sullivan expected that American settlers would moveinto places that Mexico owned—say, for example, California—and build new communities based on American principles. The settlers would want to keep what they built, so they would demand independence from Mexico. Because Mexico’s American settlers began moving government was too disorganized and distant to resist, O’Sullivan believed the west even before the United States owned the land. settlers would succeed. But that’s not quite how it happened. Expanding Expectations Up to this point, the U.S. had only added new territory by negotiating with European countries that claimed land nearby, and additional treaties with Native peoples who lived there. One exception was Texas: There, American settlers had won independence from Mexico in 1836 Library of Congress and asked to become part of the United States. (This was what O’Sullivan imagined would happen elsewhere, too.) Texas became a state in 1845. By then, the American hunger for more territory had grown intense. So had tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, who owned most of the land between the U.S. and the Pacific Ocean. President James Polk had his eye on this land when he took office in 1844, and he was determined to get it for America. This 1897 drawing shows Uncle Sam waiting for Cuba, Hawaii, Canada, and Central America to Okay, Maybe We Do Mean Taking Over fall. Florida, Louisiana, Texas, California, and When the U.S. annexed Texas, Mexico was furious. The Mexican Alaska are already in the basket. government felt that the U.S. had violated Mexico’s borders and taken its land. The U.S claimed it was acting on behalf of American settlers. Even so, President Polk tried to buy additional land from Mexico, but they wouldn’t sell. So, Polk took advantage of the tension and started a war. The United States won. Mexico gave up what is now the southwestern United States—and many Mexicans living in that area lost their land to American settlers. At about the same time, America worked out a deal with Great Britain to get Oregon Territory, now the northwestern United States. By the end of the 1840s, the United States stretched from coast to coast. Ordinary Americans began pouring into the new western frontier. Big Wins, Bigger Losses Americans moved into the west believing they were bringing civilization to an untamed land. But thousands of Native Americans already lived on that land in civilizations that had existed for thousands of years. Most Americans of the 1800s Library of Congress couldn’t appreciate that. They saw Native Americans as “uncivilized”. They stood in the way of a wealth of natural resources and trade routes. To make room for “civilization,” the U.S. kept moving native tribes out of the way to smaller and smaller areas. Native Americans either lost access to their traditional lands or saw those This image of Sioux/Dakota men lands destroyed by mining, logging, and over-hunting. As America’s “manifest in ceremonial dress was taken destiny” played out, the Native American way of life was under threat. between 1890 and 1910. © 2023 iCivics, Inc. 2  Name __________________________ Manifest Destiny A. Expand That Land! Read the text next to each map to see how the United States grew across the continent. On each map, shade both the new area AND all the areas you shaded before. Reference Map Mississippi River Great Lakes 1783: When the Revolutionary War ended, Britain gave up territory to the U.S. Shade the area south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi. Atlantic Pacific Ocean 1803: The U.S. bought a huge Ocean Mexico area of land from France. Shade the large area that goes all the way from north to south. Don’t shade that extra notch at the top! 1853: Now you can shade that little slice on the Mexico border. 1818: Okay, now you can shade The U.S. bought that area from that extra little area at the top. Mexico. The sale was called the The U.S. traded with Britain to Gadsen Purchase. get that land. 1848: After the Mexican- 1819: The U.S. made a deal American war, Mexico gave up a with Spain to get Florida. Shade million acres to the U.S. Shade Florida. (You might notice that the big area below the Oregon today, some of that land is not in Territory. Do not shade that Florida.) little slice on the Mexico border! 1845: The U.S. annexed Texas. 1846: The U.S. settled a dispute Back then, Texas claimed a bigger with Britain and got the Oregon area than it has today. Shade the Territory. Shade the area in the big blob that looks like Texas with northwest corner. a chimney. B. Technology Time. Why did the U.S. expand so quickly? One huge factor was technology. The first half of the 1800s saw huge advances in transportation and communication. For each tech “upgrade” think of how it helped U.S. territorial expansion. Before 1800 By the 1850’s Impact on Expansion Self-powered long boats Steam- powered paddle boats Hand-written letters Telegraphed messages Horse-drawn carriages Railroads Small printing presses Large scale printing presses © 2023 iCivics, Inc. 3  Name __________________________ Manifest Destiny C. That ‘Manifest Destiny Attitude. Even before there was a name for it, people who believed in “Manifest Destiny” had a distinct way of thinking. Read the excerpts and answer the questions. Excerpt I 1. One word appears in all three excerpts. Circle it in each excerpt and write it on Be it enacted by the Senate and House of this line: Representatives of the United States of America... that for the purpose of providing against 2. There are 12 words in the puzzle that thefurther decline and final extinction of the describe things people valued. Use all Indian tribes... and for introducing among them three excerpts to help you find them! the habits and arts of civilization, the President S L R P S F G C T Q M C of the United States... is hereby authorized... to L T Q E Z M I P R I I T employ capable persons of good moral character, I B N V L T R U A V P N to instruct them in the mode of agriculture suited B U F E I I B A I R O E to their situation; and for teaching their children E G H E M D G L F I D M in reading, writing, and arithmetic... R C S E L E I I T K U N T V J I I Z V A O T I R — from “An Act Making Provision for the Civilization of the Indian Tribes Y H Z G A O C O N N S E Adjoining the Frontier Settlements” (March 3, 1819) E R U T L U C I R G A V U V I O D Q O N X P L O Excerpt II K O A E S N W O T I M G N I N D U S T R Y T D I What good man would prefer a country covered with forests and ranged by a few thousand 3. Based on what President Jackson did savages to our extensive Republic, studded with value, what do you think was his problem cities, towns, and prosperous farms embellished with “a country covered with forests”? with all the improvements which art can devise or industry execute, occupied by more than 12,000,000 happy people, and filled with all the blessings of liberty, civilization and religion? — from President Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress ‘On Indian Removal’ (1830) 4. Does it sound like President Jackson had respect for Native Americans? Excerpt III Box the evidence for your answer. Yes No [T]he continent is ours... [A]ll the lines from the beginning have been converging toward this nation... [W]hen the choice seed was planted on 5. Which diagram shows lines “converging”? A) B) C) these shores, it was in reality the great stride of the human race onward... [I]t is simply the plain sober fact that the forward thought of the world in civilization, in government, in liberty, in education and in religion is on this continent. 6. Manifest Destiny was seen as progress. — from The Home Missionary (1867) Underline two phrases in the Home Missionary excerpt that mean progress. © 2023 iCivics, Inc. 4  Name __________________________ Manifest Destiny D. Spoils of War. In February 1848, the U.S. got a huge amount of land after winning a war with Mexico. Later in 1848, Americans would elect a new president—and not everyone agreed that war was a good way for the U.S. to grow. Take a look at this cartoon of presidential candidate Lewis Cass: 1. Circle the words Manifest Destiny. What object is this phrase written on? What is dripping off that object? 2. Describe what Cass’s body is made from: 5. Political cartoons often exaggerate what a candidate believes. Read the list of Cass’s 3. Look at what Cass is saying. List the places views. Write C if the view makes him seem he mentions that you have heard of: like the person the cartoonist drew. Write X if the view shows Cass wasn’t necessarily out to take over the world. ____ He thought the U.S. should have all of Oregon Territory even if it meant war with Britain. ____ He hoped the U.S. could someday annex 4. Complete this sentence: Canada, but only if the people living there agreed. The cartoonist wants people to think Cass would ____ He believed the war with Mexico should continue until the U.S. conquered all of Mexico. ____ He believed the U.S. was at risk if other if he became president. European nations controlled territory in North America. ____ He thought Great Britain’s power in the world Now, find 3 pieces of evidence in the cartoon could too easily threaten the United States. to back up your answer. Draw an arrow to ____ He supported taking military control each part of the cartoon you are using as of Yucatan when that country was evidence. Label the arrows #1, #2, and #3. having problems. © 2023 iCivics, Inc. 5