Manifest Destiny of United States during 1830-1870

Manifest Destiny

The concept of manifest destiny in a way reflects an imperialist and expansionist nation because of the manner in which the United States during the period 1830-1870 , strived to gain economic and political dominance of territories owned and controlled by other nations or peoples . Such territories include California , New Mexico and Texas which belonged to Mexico and the western territories occupied by the Native Americans (Giusepi

Imperialism is a concept that originated from Karl Marx in describing the highest stage of capitalism wherein capitalist nations conduct market expansion

by colonizing non-capitalist nations and peoples . This is in to address its economic problem of overproduction brought about by the leaps in production technology but a narrow domestic market that could not absorb its finished goods

John O 'Sullivan elaborated on the concept of manifest destiny when he stated that God has given the citizens of the United States the right to claim the lands and resources of the continent in for them to prosper as their population steadily increased (Giusepi . Nations and peoples who opposed such territorial expansionism were impeding the will of God as manifested in the God-given capacity of the U .S . to do so Whitman , who held similar views , even envisioned U .S . expansion to the Caribbean and Central America (Gruesz

Policies consistent with the belief in a manifest destiny were meant to expand economic activities through agriculture that would provide the raw materials for the rapidly industrializing United States . At the same time , it encouraged further population growth when larger families were necessary in to transform new territories into productive farms and made possible the abolition of slavery on which farm labor largely depended on at the same time that the mechanization of agricultural production was also looming ahead

Political consolidation was conducted at the same time through state building and federalism . Explicit in the statutes of the newly formed United States government after the American revolution is the acquisition and formation of more states in to add up to the confederacy (Giusepi . Problems with dual claims of states such as that between Britain and the U .S . over Oregon were also settled in favor of the U .S

In this manner , territorial expansion within the U .S ' immediate territory served to steer capitalist production through ensuring raw material production although the problem of overproduction and market saturation inherent in Marx 's concept of imperialism were not as marked then as during the early 20th century and which peaked into the Great Depression in the 1930 's

Karl Marx also predicted that imperialism will lead to war as the world 's capitalist powers strive to divide the world into their own markets through the establishment of colonies . Expansionism under the banner of manifest destiny in the American continent has also led to wars albeit it involved civil wars as well as wars with its neighboring nations . Manifest destiny served as the rallying call or the justification for such actions which displaced...