Manifest Destiny: The Thirst for New Lands

Manifest Destiny: The Thirst for New Lands

•What is Manifest Destiny?

• •Belief that the US Culture was Destined to Control all the territory between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

• •“God given right”

• •Belief in the Cultural Superiority of the United States

•Reasons for Continued Migration

• •“Pioneer Spirit” and search for Farmland

• •Independence from the government

• •impoverished were seeking new opportunities

• •Avoid problems of the East (Slavery and Factory Work)

Multiple Select

Which of the following describe Manifest Destiny?

• •Belief that the US Culture was Destined to Control all the territory between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

• •Belief in the Cultural Superiority of the United States

• •“God given right”

Westward to the Pacific

• Great Plains: “Considered a desert” or Rather Useless Land

• Great Plains: Parts Reserved for Native Americans

• Opening of China to Trade with the West: The US needed Western Ports for their ships to stop and refuel/get water and food

Western Ports

• Fear of The United Kingdom’s Expansion

• Ports needed to access the East: San Diego, San Francisco, and Puget Sound (Seattle)

• Three Rivals for the West: UK, Mexico, and the Natives

Advantages of the United States

• Very little Settlements by Mexico or Great Britain

• Limited Desire to Settle the Territory

• Technological disadvantages for Natives and Mexico

• Tribal feuds by many Native Groups

• Political Instability in Mexico

• British Leaders felt the Empire was overextended

Multiple Choice

Why did the United States want the Pacific?

• Access to China

• Ports

• So Great Britain could not have it.

• All of the Above

Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842

• "Aroostook War": Fighting between Canadian and US settlers

• Goal of the Treaty was to avoid war so that trade was not interrupted

• Border between the US and Canada was settled (Maine, New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont)

• Did NOT settle all issues between the nations: For example Oregon was not decided