Was Expansion Good for America?

Was Expansion Good For America?

In this essay I will explain how expansion was in fact good for America. This is a matter of opinion, with very strong opposing arguments. I will provide the information to show both sides of the arguments. In this essay 3 topics will be discussed. These are Manifest Destiny, Foreign expansion, and the Industrial Revolution.

In the United States Magazine and Democratic Review, John O' Sullivan published an article supporting the annexation of Texas. Hew wrote "the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions". Notice how this quote used the word "Manifest Destiny". Manifest destiny is the belief that Americans had a given right from God to expand and conquer. This belief was a very strong one and it played a major role in the expansion of early America. Andrew Jackson's Indian Policy kicked the natives out of their land and murdered the rest, and had a quarter of the 15,000 Cherokee natives who cooperated killed (The American People, G. Nash pg.?).

After the Spanish-America war was won, America bought 7000 Philippine islands for 20 million after signing a treaty. Yet taking over the Philippines was unconstitutional, violated the Declaration of Independence, and would take a lot of work in money to expand (Nash pg 645-646). Yet if they got the Philippines it would "take a large slice of the commerce of Asia" (American Social History Project pg. 153). This would increase trade and boost the American economy. In the Mexican war, the U.S. won California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon. This is a huge part of land, nearly doubling the size of the U.S. continuing their expansion westward (Nash, Gary Ed., The American People pg. 404-406).

When all of this land was conquered, it was of course persuaded for its benefits. Miners rushed to the new land, in search for its gold. Many settlers came, which of course stirred up tension with the natives. The Natives food sources were becoming scarce because of all the new settlers. "Indian women were raped, children were kidnapped... In just over 20 years numbers had tumbled to fewer than 30,000 from 150,000" (Nash, Gary ed., pg.418). Still, the U.S. increased its economy, and even built railroads so that