Though based on a particular belief, the expansion was also the result of record population growth on the East coast due primarily to European immigration. The removal of American Indian Nations and peoples, as well as the killing of many of them, was a key part of the westward expansion and Manifest Destiny. The idea of Native American removal originated and was promoted before America was even born. To the south, the conflicts with Mexico and the eventual outbreak of a declared war also resulted in unfair and bloody consequences for both nations. American westward expansion, for example, resulted in the genocide of Native Americans, as well as the forced relocation (or at times voluntary but manipulated) of many more. The doctrine’s ideals were conscious of what it meant to create a better life in lands that already had lives going about. Though greatly romantic and idealistic, Manifest Destiny also had a real, more complex side. For many, the belief represented the opportunity of creating a better society, one based on the American way of life, which, at the same time, would serve as an example for Europe. This belief went on to evolve into a more active doctrine that wasn’t initially broadly supported but went on to become the centerpiece of American foreign relations and ambitions throughout much of the continent. The idea of America as a unique nation with a particular mission thus became increasingly common and prominent in the public sphere, but crucially, it became a dominant belief among American leaders. These, alongside other principles, virtues, and ideals, became the cornerstone of the American way of life, which would be thoroughly defined through the belief in “American exceptionalism.”

A democratic federal republic was adopted, where a permanent constitution became a fundamental part of governance, and fundamental rights were also granted. The Thirteen Colonies were no more instead, a new, large-scale form of government was attempted. Later, in 1783, after years of war, the United States of America became a free nation after defeating the British.

In 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence was proclaimed by the Second Continental Congress during the American Revolution. The American Way of Life: Exceptionalism & the Mission for Expansion Westward Ho! by Emmanuel Gottlieb Leutze, 1860, via Wikimedia Commons

Manifest Destiny #11 by Chris Dingess