Mainfest Destiny

"The American claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and possess the whole of the continent..." John L. O' Sullivan

At the time of the mid- 1800's most Americans thought that it was destiny for the United States to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. There were many reasons why people wanted to move from the Atlantic to the Pacific. A few reasons were free farmland was offered to people out west. As well as the growing population along the Atlantic, gold, and other discoveries found out west. Many people thought that the manifest destiny was predictable and was just a matter of time before it happened.

Though moving west sounded like a spontaneous adventure for many it wasn't. For many people settling west there luck was bad. Some people lost their cattle in blizzards. Other lost their horses to broken legs to a prairie dog hole. Some lost their valuable stallion to rattlesnake bites. Sometimes the terrible living conditions even caused death to loved ones such as your wife or children. These are just a few of the things that happened to people settling out west.

Some people were for manifest destiny, but not the way the Americans were handling it. Albert Gallatin was arguing against the American superiority over the Mexico and its people. He was trying to say that manifest destiny was equal to everyone not just the Americans. That the Mexicans should be treated equal with the Americans and be able to live in masses as friends not a enemies. He disputed that instead of causing a war that Americans should influence Mexicans and everyone all over the world.

Another man by the name of J.J. Warner wanted to connect the Pacific and Atlantic by a transcontinental railroad. Warner gave five main reasons for the construction of the transcontinental railroad. One reason was securing the commerce of China and India. Another was a greater defense and protection than all other military works. In addition it would be a great daily interaction between the east and west. Additionally a great national highway from California to Atlantic coast and would prevent sectionalism between the north, south, and west. The main people for encouraging the building of this railroad, according to Warner were the national government.

In conclusion most people supported manifest destiny. It railroad greatly