Manifest DestinyEssay title: Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny was a phrase that expressed the belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean; it has also been used to advocate for or justify other territorial acquisitions. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only good, but that it was obvious (“manifest”) and certain (“destiny”). It was originally a political catch phrase or slogan used by Democrats in the 1845-1855 period, and rejected by Whigs and Republicans of that era. 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.
The phrase “Manifest Destiny” was first used primarily by Jackson Democrats after 1845 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 partly revived in the 1890s, this time with Republican supporters, as a theoretical justification for U.S. expansion outside of North America. Opponents such as Abraham Lincoln wanted vertical modernization with greater complexity and specialization, instead of the horizontal expansion of simple farms. As Lincoln explained, he “did not believe in enlarging our field, but in keeping our fences where they are and cultivating our present possession, making it a garden, improving the
;, and expanding the field even further in their goal.
This is an important point as the idea of selfdetermination is not yet advanced in European and western political and economic systems. The notion is to establish a social contract based on self-sufficiency, a concept that has been held from beginning to end and based on the belief that if we don’t work together we will inevitably end up hurting one another.
The term ‘self-sufficiency’ means being able, with freedom and support from the community, to pay your bills without pressure from the government or external circumstances, with or without financial assistance, without being subject to the government or other individuals or groups, which could lead, if they did not want to do so, to your becoming a private citizen. A common approach to this situation is to leave them to themselves and work only with their government, to no greater or lesser degree.
This is the idea of the Self-Reliance to establish a self-sustaining and secure social contract where the responsibility lies to each and everyone with the respect for other persons and for the safety of the nation. This would be a place where the national welfare would be protected. This would encompass, of course, everything including taxes, taxes as well as social programs to support our children’s education as well as military and diplomatic relations.
Many of the earliest attempts at self-government were the attempts to expand Social Security and Medicare. One example follows:
These schemes were made using legislation that Congress has not enacted into law.
In other words, as a result of some sort of self-government experiment, those with access to our health care can participate in our health care or receive assistance in health care for many of what our children need, and in what kinds of facilities, or for all of their needs. In many instances, health care is provided by government funding and the community is consulted. People living in the community are cared for at home with their families, or by government-employed workers who are able to provide a service and provide care. It is the people who rely on that health care that is a big part of our lives in many instances. But in most instances the community is not part of the health care system, and for one reason or another it is no longer part of the community that is in need.
This article is part of a larger exhibition on self-government.