Manifest Destiny by Army Greenberg - Free Report Example

Manifest Destiny and the ideology of the American Territorial Expansion are among the most discussed themes in the historical aspect of the Americans. The justification of the doctrine is based on the need for the expansion of the territorial backgrounds of America during the era of antebellum. The period of antebellum can be traced before 1789 of the Civil War on the completion of the action (Greenberg,7). Based on the report by the American historian, Army Greenberg, Manifest Destiny can be projected in terms of different ways such as cultural, political, and social context. Greenberg is a renowned historian on the aspect of Manifest Destiny through various articulations and rationales in an attempt to understand the part of border expansion and its evolution from the colonial era (Mountjoy, 6). The notion of Greenberg follows the idea of diversifying the border of the country by seizing diverse lands from Cuba, Central America, Native Americans, and the Mexicans.

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Based on the historical context, Manifest Destiny can be a justifiable concept based on the divine ordination of the Americans and the expansion of its territorial borders across the world. The acquisition of these territories was achieved either concerning war or negotiations. It was a collective agreement on the removal decision of uprooting the Native Americans in mind of creating room for the settlements and the construction of the transcontinental rail linking the West and the East (Gross, 70). Additionally, the Manifest Destiny ideology was rooted on the grounds of the cultural, political, and social institutional beliefs of the Americans and that they were programmed to be superior compared to other countries.

Americans were more advanced compared to other countries, thus making them believe that they were knowledgeable to educate other countries across diverse continents. Nonetheless, numerous arguments were discouraging the discussion on the ordination obligation of the Americans. The reason for this is that the said destiny was adversely affecting the livelihoods of the Native Americans, especially under the context of acquiring the land by participating in the war with the existing owners (Grytz, 554). However, a country cannot continue expanding its borders while other nations are losing their territories. Moreover, the continuous expansion of the settlements would be a great catalyst in weakening the border unity between the bordering countries.

According to Greenberg (5), Manifest Destiny is associated with the frequent war that was happening in the late 19th century. The relentless conflict eventually led to the perpetual displacement of the natives from their aboriginal dwelling places. For instance, three was a case of aggressive conflict of 1846 that was against the Mexicans and the war on the nations like Cuba with the actions of the militaries and the filibusters in gaining the overseas colonies. The concept of Manifest Destiny was there before the aspect of exceptionalism in America which was there even before the existence of America as a country. Moreover, the White Americans in mind that they are the best, unique, and ordained by God for the desired destiny inaugurated the aspect of Manifest Destiny into action (Gross, 75).

After several decades, the Native Americans realized a substantial advantage in terms of the settlements as a way of presenting their power to the world. One of the benefits of Manifest Destiny to the Americans was the Purchase of Louisiana land allowing for more expansion towards the west side which was seemingly natural to most of the Whites around the middle of the 19th century manifesting as the best destination to the country. Most of the ancient historians agree that the Americans were obliged to expand its boundaries to the East side of the Coastal regions (Burge, 285).

That was achieved through the reclamation of the land around the Mississippi River along with the Louisiana Purchase which originated from the west (Burge, 284). The aspect that derived the move towards the west side was the Second Great Awakening, where most Americans knew that God blessed them in terms of the country's growth. The current population of the diverse USA believes that the American territories were bounded by the actual fate but there are several complex activities that were considered as a bridge to gaining these boundaries. The ideology of Manifest Destiny can be linked with America's motives of expanding its territories across other countries with the idea of reaching the borders of the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Manifest Destiny and its motive of acquiring new territorial borders created conflicts and tensions among the slaveholders and the abolitionists, thus increasing the war between the Native Americans and the white settlers. The fights were both on the two sides, the West and the Plains Indians. The Plains Indians were practically vicious in their struggle for their territorial backgrounds in Texas, the South and North were fighting to fight to have a free state without the act of slavery (Mountjoy, 5). The justification of the ideology is based on the need for the expansion of the territorial backgrounds of America during the era of antebellum. It was a collective agreement on the removal decision of uprooting the Native Americans in mind of creating room for the settlements and the construction of the transcontinental rail linking the West and the East.

Work Cited

Burge, Daniel. "Manifest Mirth: The Humorous Critique of Manifest Destiny, 1846–1858." The Western Historical Quarterly 47.3 (2016): 283-302.

Gross, Jeffrey. "Boyish Play and Manifest Destiny: The Transition from Civilizer to Killer in America and Abroad." South Atlantic Review 73.2 (2008): 59-80.

Greenberg, Amy S. “Manifest manhood and the antebellum American empire.” Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Greenberg, Amy S. “A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 US Invasion of Mexico.” Vintage, 2012.

Grytz, Gerhard. "Manifest Manhood and the Antebellum American Empire." Southwestern Historical Quarterly 110.4 (2007): 554-555.

Mountjoy, Shane. Manifest destiny: westward expansion. Infobase Publishing, 2009.