The Different Facets of Manifest Destiny

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of our yearly multiplying millions.”

Although this was the first known use of the phrase “Manifest Destiny” the concept was hardly new. Ever since John Winthrop extolled about the Puritan dream of America becoming a shining ‘city on the hill’ the idea that American expansionism was ordained by God had become commonplace in the American psyche and politics. Manifest Destiny had its limits, however, as can be seen by comparing and contrasting how America approached expansion in the southwest and its foreign policy with Mexico via the annexation of Texas and its northwest expansion and its foreign policy with Britain via the Oregon Treaty and the Oregon Territory. By comparing and contrasting how American foreign policy differed in both instances of expansion it will become evident that Manifest Destiny meant two very different things depending on whether or not America was dealing with who it believed were the inferior people of Mexico and with those who it believed to be on an ...

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be seen by Polk’s remarks to Congress in a special message calling for a declaration of war against Mexico:

“The Mexican forces at Matamoras assumed a belligerent attitude, and on the 12th of April General Ampudia, then in command, notified General Taylor to break up his camp within twenty-four hours and to retire beyond the Nueces River, and in the event of this failure to comply with these demands announced that arms, and arms alone, must decide the question. But no open act of hostility was committed until the 24th of April. On that day General Arista, who had succeeded to the command of the Mexican forces, communicated to General Taylor that ‘he considered hostilities commenced ...

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