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Manifest Destiny is a nationalistic phrase that expressed the belief that the United States had a mission to expand, spreading its form of democracy and freedom. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only good, but that it was obvious ("manifest") and inevitable ("destiny"). Originally a political catch phrase of the 19th century, "Manifest Destiny" eventually became a standard historical term, often used as a synonym for the territorial expansion of the United States across North America towards the Pacific Ocean.

Manifest Destiny was always a general notion rather than a specific policy. The term combined a near-religious belief in expansionism with other popular ideas of the era, including American exceptionalism, Romantic nationalism, and a belief in the natural superiority of what was then called the "Anglo-Saxon race" (referring to white Americans and Britons). While many writers focus primarily upon American expansionism when discussing Manifest Destiny, others see in the term a broader expression of a belief in America's "mission" in the world, which has meant different things to different people over the years. This variety of possible meanings was summed up by Ernest Lee Tuveson, who wrote: "A vast complex of ideas, policies, and actions is comprehended under the phrase 'Manifest Destiny.' They are not, as we should expect, all compatible, nor do they come from any one source."[1]

The phrase "Manifest Destiny" was first used primarily by Jackson Democrats in the 1840s to promote the annexation of much of what is now the Western United States (the Oregon Territory, the Texas Annexation, and the Mexican Cession). The term was revived in the 1890s, this time with Republican supporters, as a theoretical justification for U.S. expansion outside of North America. The term fell out of usage by U.S. policy makers early in the 20th century, but some commentators believe that aspects of Manifest Destiny, particularly the belief in an American "mission" to promote and defend democracy throughout the world, continued to have an influence on American political ideology.[2]

Note that this article is not a history of the territorial expansion of the United States, nor is it the story of the westward migration of settlers to the American frontier. Manifest Destiny was an explanation or justification for that expansion and westward movement, or, in some interpretations, an ideology or doctrine which helped to promote the process. This article is a history of Manifest Destiny as an idea, and the influence of that idea upon American expansion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_Destiny

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Mwongozi Cudjoe (Chedmond Browne)
Chairman of Free Montserrat United Movement

It is so funny that you put this thread up. I am studying this in my African American history class right now.

Manifest Bullshyite. Excuse to exploit people all over the place.

manifest destiny - what a CROCK! just another fancy-word for the old white men to take whatever they wanted from whomever it really belonged to; put some mystical fancy word pon it to foofoo the gullible public of their times, to mek them believe it was 'spoken from God' that they should steal all the native lands and murder all the indiginous people. evrybody bought that bullshyte too, and voila! it's what gets into the history books. After all they had no Dateline and CNN to keep the reporting 'accurate' back then.

"destiny" my behine. Thievery, robbery, murder, & 'ethnic' destruction (it was waaay past 'cleansing') - is more accurate.

Not all 'white' men followed manifest destiny. And not only 'Whites' have had the mentality

yes otorongo i know, i am one.

it was the old white men who coined the phrase though, and who pushed west and murdered the native peoples and everyone else they could get they hands on, so the white folks from out east could go settle in the native lands. "Little House on the Prairie" is another crock. talkin bout how all that land was 'unsettled'. Bullshyte, it had been settled for generations already - just not by white easterners......

A lot of it was unsettled. By disease. By the time Europeans arrived, many populations had dissapeared.

nitpicky mofo aintcha? Geezam peezam.

i'm sure that is accurate, but there were still PLENTY of native peoples left, still residing on their homelands, with whom the settlers came into contact, and mostly murdered. It was not empty of humanity just waiting on the 'divine' easterners to come 'civilize' it

Very true. Just stating the facts. Note that the French trappers up north were not doing that. They took a trade approach. Many indigenized.

Yep. and never chatted no crap either, they just went there, learned the local ways, & mixed in. Lived and worked among the people. Much less bloodshed & much better socialization than that manifest desitny bull.

but that, and them, are not the point of this topic. manifest destiny was a concept started by white americans, the french trappers don't enter into it. yes, they were white men and they were there - but they were not part of the whole manifest destiny thing so they are not relevant to this discussion.

Sounds an awful lot like the Project for the New American Century.

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Live ah Little...

Right, but you were forgetting to specify Americans.

oh for gods dake Oto

the entire opening post in the thread was about the United States. Seems clear to me that anyone with a clue could already see the context had been established and that the manifest destiny was a concept by, and about, Americans.

the words "United States" and "American" are written 5 times in the opening post, as well as names of three states. what-yuh need it written 5 or 6 MORE times to see is Americans we a chat bout here?

Sasscrise, am gon to mih bed.

I've learned here that what one posts here cans say one thing and others can extrapolate it to include all types of people all the time. So a clarification isn't so out of the question. It's not like I have read a ton of your posts to know if you are sane or insane like soca souljah.

I totally agree with you in a lot of ways.