Was Manifest Destiny a justified policy for the United States?

Manifest Destiny was a justified policy for the United States. Manifest Destiny refers to our goal of expanding from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. After we were offered the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which extended our borders roughly from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, it made sense for us to continue that expansion to the Pacific Ocean.

Our country was growing from the days of when we were British colonies. At...

Manifest Destiny was a justified policy for the United States. Manifest Destiny refers to our goal of expanding from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. After we were offered the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which extended our borders roughly from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, it made sense for us to continue that expansion to the Pacific Ocean.

Our country was growing from the days of when we were British colonies. At first, we had the thirteen colonies. Then we got land from France as a result of the French and Indian War. When we won the Revolutionary War, we had control over most of the land east of the Mississippi River. As our population grew, we needed and wanted more land. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of our country in 1803.

As we expanded, more economic opportunities developed. Businesses followed the people as they moved to the West. Our transportation system grew. Industries were producing more products. This expansion was good for our economy and was viewed as a sign that we were progressing as a country.

With continued population growth and economic growth, it was only natural for us to want to control the lands from the Rocky Mountains to the lands that bordered the Pacific Ocean. We felt it was our duty to control and to develop these lands. We saw great opportunities to further the development of our economy and the development of our country by expanding westward. As a result, we annexed Texas in 1845, and we split the Oregon Country with Great Britain in 1846. We went to war with Mexico in 1846 to get the southwest part of our country. We rounded out our expansion with the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. It is natural for a group of people to want to expand and help their country and economy grow. This process had begun even before Manifest Destiny became a national policy. By the 1840s and 1850s, it was time for us to fulfill the goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean as expressed in the policy of Manifest Destiny.