1. Day 3 Group C
By: Caroline Coyle, Geena
Romero, and Kate Stock

2. Question:
“Although Americans perceived Manifest
Destiny as a benevolent movement, it was
in fact an aggressive imperialism pursued
at the expense of others”. Assess the
validity of this statement with specific
reference to American expansionism in
the 1840s.

3. Thesis Statements:
Non-validating Thesis:
Manifest Destiny was
aggressive in nature, but this
position for expansion was a
necessary attitude for
congressmen and citizens
alike, seeking territorial,
financial, and social gain in the
United States during the
1840s. Validating Thesis: During the
1840s, Manifest Destiny was
presented as a positive
“benevolent movement,”
though in reality, it promoted
cultural superiority, aggressive
foreign policy, and extended
the already existing sectional
crisis.

4. Validating
- Manifest Destiny=Belief that the Almighty God
had destined the people to control the
hemisphere.
- Political leaders were willing to do anything in
their power to fulfill the “destiny” that America
was to govern from sea to sea.
- The Reannexation of Texas and the
Reoccupation of Oregon were key topics in
the 1844 Campaign between James K. Polk
and Henry Clay.
- The Reoccupation of Oregon- The Whig log-
cabinites would aggressively shout “All of
Oregon or None”. Polk and Britain were
discussing the 49th parallel as a compromise
point which the Senate then approved. The
angry Americans continued to shout, “Why
all Texas but not all Oregon?” (The parallel
was originally at the 54th parallel.)

5. Validating continued…
- The Acquisition of California (on the main agenda of
President Polk) - Americans wanted to gain the land of
San Francisco which was home to a major port. They
said it would open the U.S. to the rest of the world. The
U.S. would be snatching land from the Mexicans who
they were already quarreling with over Texas.
- The U.S. people used the Monroe Doctrine as a reason
that Britain should not be allowed to own land in the
western hemisphere. Though they were trying to control
other groups of people’s land as well.

6. Validating continued…
- The Reannexation of Texas- The people of
Texas had traveled to this area between
America and Mexico to be free to own
slaves and have their own country (a
failure). Once they were put under the
Mexican rule and not allowed to let in
more people and slaves, they began to
rebel. They would fight and also say their
land stretched down to the Rio Grande
when it was already established only to
the Nueces River as agreed. The Texans
hoped to join the United States. The slave
holders advocated for the people while the
North was unsure which was one of the
many feuds that would lead to the Civil
War less than twenty years later.

7. Validating continued…
- Many Native American populations in the mid-west were
uprooted and forced to leave their homes.
- In the late 1840s American imperialism in the southwest
led to the Mexican-American War. The Treaty of
Guadalupe was the peace treaty which ended the war.
Within the treaty the U.S. had to pay a few million
dollars, but also gained California and the area which
would hold Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, the
Texas area to the Rio Grande, and parts of Wyoming.
- With the need for balance between the free and slave
states the issue of slavery spread.

8. Non-Validating
- The Reannexation of Texas was justified
by the U.S. as the U.S. fighting for the
Texan people (formerly of America) who
no longer wished to be under the
oppressive rule of Mexico.

9. Non-Validating continued…
- The Monroe Doctrine was turned to
by the U.S. government and
President to keep Eastern
Hemisphere powers from ruling
another independent people. The
U.S. was simply protecting the
Western Hemisphere’s countries’
people and government.
- Used specifically in the negotiation
of Oregon and the Acquisition of
California after rumors of Britain
panning on making on offer for the
land destined to belong to the U.S.

10. Non-Validating continued…
- The Monroe Doctrine was turned to
by the U.S. government and
President to keep Eastern
Hemisphere powers from ruling
another independent people. The
U.S. was simply protecting the
Western Hemisphere’s countries’
people and government.
- Used specifically in the negotiation
of Oregon and the Acquisition of
California after rumors of Britain
panning on making on offer for the
land destined to belong to the U.S.