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Please note that the theme US Imperialism is divided in basically 2 parts:
1) America's expansion within what is now called the USA
2) America's expansion within Latin America and the Caribbean
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Explain how the U.S fulfilled its Manifest Destiny within North America
ReplyDeleteAccording to Alan Brinkley, “Manifest Destiny characterized the growing nationalistic pride and the idealistic vision of social perfection that fuelled much of the reform energy of the time.” First hinted at in 1801 by Thomas Jefferson, the concept of Manifest Destiny was made popular in 1845 by American journalist John O’Sullivan. He and many other supporters of the concept purported that America is destined by the Divine will of God and by history to expand her boundaries throughout North America, the Caribbean, Latin and South America and a few visionaries dreamed of a U.S. empire that spanned the entire world.
The first part of her expansion journey started within the United States. America wanted to include in her empire Texas and Oregon. The United States was keen on annexing Texas, a Mexican state rich with natural resources and vast amounts of fertile land, as part of their quest to Manifest Destiny. Brinkley in his book noted that “twice in the 1820s America attempted to purchase Texas from the Republic of Mexico, only to receive indignant Mexican refusal.” However, although not realizing it at the time, Mexico passed a law much to the favour of the Americans. The colonization law of 1824 provided free land and an exemption from taxes to any American willing to move to Texas.
The Mexican government envisioned this as a way to attract American investors to aid in the development of Texas. Upon passing the law, thousands of Americans flocked into Texas, the majority of who were White Southerners and their slaves who were intent on establishing cotton plantations. Stephen F. Austin, who established the first legal American settlement in Texas in 1822, aided many Americans in migrating to Texas in return for sizeable land grants from the Mexican government. Soon after, there were 7000 Americans living in Texas, twice the number of Mexicans residing there. American presence in Texas was beginning to threaten Mexican lives, property and sovereignty and in fear of an “Americanized” Texas, the Mexican government barred any further immigration of Americans into Texas, however, the Americans failed to recognize this law, as they continued to flock into Texas in their thousands.
Tensions continued to build between the Mexicans and the Americans residing in Texas in the 1830s. In the same year, political instability in Mexico resulted in Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna seizing power as a dictator of Mexico. He was not oblivious of the strong American presence in Mexico and their visions of annexing Texas. Hence, he increased the power of the national government to guard against undue American influence. In any territorial dispute, it is inevitable that war follows. In 1836 there was continuous fighting between the Mexican soldiers and the American settlers. When it seemed Mexico had annihilated what Brinkley called the “squabbling factions”, Sam Houston kept a small group together. With strong resistance, he and others fought against the Mexicans at the battle of San Jacinto. It ensued that the Mexican president Santa Anna was captured by the Americans and forced to sign, declaring Texas an independent State. The Americans then proceeded to rid Texas of the “Tejanos”. Those who remained there were subject to prejudices and lower class positions.
The idea of a newly independent Texas pleased many American visionaries who dreamed of conquering the entire North American continent and even beyond. Sam Houston, after a successful battle, became first President of Texas and applied for statehood in 1837. However, the sectional tensions existing at the time prevented this because Northerners and President James Polk feared the inclusion of a Southern slave state. Conscious of the growing power of the United States, Britain and France began to forge relations with the newly independent Texas and it was then that President Tyler invited Texas to join the union. She became a state in 1845. A piece of the dream of Manifest Destiny had now been fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteAmerican now proceeded to conquer other parts of North America. Other parts of Mexico, close to North America were next on the list to be annexed. Mexico, still bitter over the loss of Texas argued with the United States that the Texas boundary was not the Rio Grande as the Americans had proposed, but the Nueces River, South of the Rio Grande. The intense boundary dispute between the two nations provided the United States with the perfect opportunity to wage war against Mexico in her desire to acquire more land by establishing the Rio Grande as the boundary, acquiring Monterrey, New Mexico and for some, all of Mexico. In 1836 the Mexican War began and President Polk deployed troops to Texas, later giving orders for them to be transplanted from the Nueces River to the Rio Grande. General Zachary Taylor was given specific orders by Polk to advance and capture the city of Monterrey then New Mexico. Monterrey was conquered but to the disappointment of many Americans, Taylor failed to acquire Mexico City. However, America still won the war. In September 1836, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. This treaty provided that Monterrey and Mexico City were to be incorporated as part of the United States and the Texas boundary is the Rio Grande. In return, America would pay Mexico $15 million. The majority of North West Mexico was now part of the United States.
The United States also had her eyes on what was known as Oregon Country. This area had been one of interest between both the U.S. and Britain. However, both agreed that neither would seek to colonize it and what was known as “joint occupation” was agreed upon where citizens of both countries would be allowed equal access to the area. However, in the 1820s and 1830s, American had a keen interest in Oregon Country, viewing it not as a country of joint occupation with Britain but as a part of the United States. The concept of Manifest Destiny far outweighed any loyalties owed to Britain and the U.S. proceeded to incorporate Oregon County into the union.
To conclude, the Manifest Destiny was a concept of territorial expansion and cultural domination. Maldwyn Jones noted that it had embedded it, Darwin’s theory of evolution and the survival of the fittest. Jones posited that in the minds of many Americans, Darwin’s theory applied very much to them as it did to the biological and natural world. Only the fittest of the fittest will survive, and with respect to a nation, the fittest is the largest, not just in size but the largest in terms of economics and influence. Therefore, the United States was intent on acquiring as many territories as possible into her union in order to facilitate her future development and manifesting destiny started in North American by acquiring Texas, much of North-Western Mexico and Oregon Country.
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