Manifest Destiny: Religion, Politics, and Westward Expansion
This paper examines the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, tracing its origins in early Puritan religious ideology through its full expression as political and economic propaganda during the 19th century. Beginning with John Winthrop's providential mission and the spiritual movements of the Great Awakenings, the paper shows how the belief in Anglo-Saxon superiority and divine entitlement evolved to justify westward territorial expansion, conflict with indigenous peoples, and the appropriation of Mexican and other territories. The paper also explores how Manifest Destiny appealed across the American political spectrum—to slaveholders, abolitionists, industrialists, and laborers alike—ultimately becoming a defining feature of American identity and a driver of imperial policy.
- Introduction: The Origins of Manifest Destiny: Defines Manifest Destiny and its racial, religious roots
- Coining the Term and 19th-Century Expansion: How the term emerged and territorial ambitions grew
- From Religious Ideology to Political Doctrine: Great Awakening roots give way to political ideology
- Economic and Political Motivations for Expansion: Economic crises and land hunger drive westward push
- Broad Political Appeal and the Balance of Power: Manifest Destiny unites diverse American political factions
- Manifest Destiny as a Defining Feature of American Identity: Legacy of imperialism and genocide in American consciousness
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper traces a clear developmental arc, showing how Manifest Destiny shifted from religious justification to political and economic motivation, giving the argument a strong through-line.
- It draws on a range of credible sources—including Horsman's Race and Manifest Destiny and primary congressional speeches—to ground claims in historical evidence.
- The paper acknowledges the racial dimensions of Manifest Destiny early and explicitly, situating the ideology within a broader critique of Anglo-Saxon supremacist thought.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of direct quotation paired with analytical commentary. Rather than letting quoted material stand alone, the author consistently follows each citation with an interpretive statement that connects the evidence to the paper's central argument about the evolution of Manifest Destiny from religious to political-economic ideology.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a framing introduction that defines Manifest Destiny and states a central thesis. It then provides historical context for the term's origins and key 19th-century milestones. Subsequent paragraphs analyze the religious, then political, then economic dimensions of the doctrine. A section on broad political appeal addresses how Manifest Destiny unified diverse American factions. The conclusion synthesizes the argument and gestures toward its legacy in American imperialism and genocide.
Introduction: The Origins of Manifest Destiny
John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, "had charged the English settlers in New England with a special and unique Providential mission" (Scott, n.d., p. 1). The belief that Anglo-Saxon settlers were blessed by God and entitled to political and economic sovereignty over the American continent would become known as Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny refers mainly to the philosophy motivating territorial expansion, but also coincided with religious ideology prevalent in the United States during the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening. Moreover, Manifest Destiny is related to other American values, including those of "rugged individualism" and "domination over the wilderness" (Tveskov & Cohen, 2015, p. 191).
Manifest Destiny was also a racist philosophy, characterized specifically by the perception of Anglo-Saxons as "separate, innately superior people who were destined to bring good government, commercial prosperity, and Christianity to the American continents and the world" (Horsman, 1981, p. 2). Manifest Destiny began as an extension of religious ideology and later became more political propaganda, motivated by economic rather than spiritual reasons.
Coining the Term and 19th-Century Expansion
Although Manifest Destiny was the reason for initial settlement and colonization of the Americas, the term came to full fruition during the early and middle 19th century. Andrew Jackson's encroachment into Seminole territories in Florida, leading to the Seminole Wars, signaled the intent of the United States to expand its boundaries from sea to shining sea. The term "manifest destiny" appears to have been coined by John L. O'Sullivan in 1845, when he wrote about "the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us" (cited in "Manifest Destiny," n.d.).
The following year, on January 3, 1846, Representative Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts delivered a speech to Congress referring to the "new revelation of right which has been designated as the right of our manifest destiny to spread over this whole continent… so clear, so pre-eminent, and so indisputable… the right of manifest destiny" (cited in Pratt, 1927, p. 795). During the 19th century, Manifest Destiny reached a peak, especially as westward expansion became feasible and desirable for economic and political reasons. Expansion into the Oregon territories and the lands governed by Mexico were the most significant manifestations of the doctrine.
From Religious Ideology to Political Doctrine
Manifest Destiny started as a religious ideology and later became more politically and economically motivated during the 19th century. The Great Awakening and religious evangelism grew as a social movement throughout the colonies, and later remained a fundamental feature of American life. America was presented as a divinely inspired, spiritually ordained nation that was more enlightened than its European counterparts or the indigenous peoples of the Americas. The religious underpinnings of Manifest Destiny gradually became less important than the political and economic ideologies that prevailed throughout the 19th century, including the issue of slavery.
References
Horsman, R. (1981). Race and Manifest Destiny. Harvard College.
"Manifest Destiny." (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/md_introduction.html
"Manifest Destiny: The Philosophy That Created a Nation." (n.d.). American History. Retrieved from http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/essays/1801-1900/manifest-destiny/manifest-destiny-the-philosophy-that-created-a-nation.php
Pratt, J. W. (1927). The origin of "Manifest Destiny." The American Historical Review, 32(4), 795–798.
Scott, D. M. (n.d.). The religious origins of Manifest Destiny. National Humanities Center. Retrieved from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/mandestiny.htm
Tveskov, M., & Cohen, A. (2015). Frontier forts, ambiguity, and Manifest Destiny. Chapter 8 in Rethinking Colonial Pasts Through Archaeology. Oxford University Press.
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