How Manifest Destiny Has Shaped America and its Culture

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Overview

     Manifest destiny has been an American idea that started around the formation of this country, and this idea was really the dream of Americans that the United States would eventually span from the east coast to the west coast.  This idea has been one of the greatest factors that have shaped America's borders and its culture.  History has shown that the idea of manifest destiny has lead to many wars as well as redefined the borders of many countries.  Manifest destiny has proven to have changed the borders of America as well as shaped the ideas of Americans about settling the west which, in turn, shaped their ideas about any native people or countries in the west.  

Origins of Manifest Destiny

      The idea of manifest destiny originated when the United States territory was just along the east coast.  There are several factors that helped to lead to the formation of the ideas of manifest destiny.  One of these factors was the idea of American exceptionalism.  This idea was started around the time of the revolutionary war and the formation of the United States government.  This idea stems from the belief that the United States government is superior to the ways of government that were in the other European nations. One example of this thinking comes from John Winthrop's city upon a hill.  John Winthrop explains his ideas in this quote: (1630) "Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us." (p.1) In this quote John Winthrop explains that Americans are going to build a way of government and a lifestyle that would be superior to other european nations and therefore everyone would be looking to them.  This helped Americans believe that their way of life would be superior to everyone else's.  One of the results of this idea can be seen when Americans force different cultures to assimilate into the american way of life because they believe that it is superior.  

     Another belief that has helped to form the ideas of manifest destiny is the belief by many Americans that much of the west was the "God-given" right of the United States.  This idea becomes evident as Americans start to move away from the east coast and into the west.  John Winthrop also helps to explain this idea with this quote: (1630) " the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his owne people and will commaund a blessing upon us in all our wayes, soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome power goodnes and truthe then formerly wee have beene acquainted with." (p.1)  In this quote John Winthrop Explains how he believes that god has blessed america which helps to further the idea that the west is the god given right of the United States.  The Louisiana Purchase significantly helped this idea in 1803.  Even though the Louisiana territory was purchased by the United States government much of the territory that Americans have expanded to was not purchased or have any legal background.  A specific example of this is the region that is now Texas where many American citizens moved and would eventually help to start the Mexican-American war.  

Native Americans

     The group of people that has been most affected by the ideas of manifest destiny has been the Native Americans.  As Americans started to move out west there would often be conflicts with Native Americans.  One of the causes of these conflicts was that the American citizens did not fully understand that the Native Americans lived a nomadic life style and would use large areas of land.  The Native Americans would travel over different areas of land during different seasons so that they could follow the wild game or use more fertile lands for farming.  The Americans believed that this was a waste of land and would move onto land that the native people would use during different seasons.  This would often result in conflicts between the Americans and the native people.  These elements quickly became a lasting part in American Culture.  Examples of these conflicts in popular culture can be seen in the stories of Daniel Boone and they extend all the way through to popular western movies of the 20th century.  

     The Native people were not just mistreated by the American citizens but also the United States government.  Throughout the history of the west the United States government entered into many contracts with the Native people. The United States government would often trick or force the native people into entering these contracts which were usually very unfair to these people.  Even after these contracts were made the government would not hold up their end of the contract.  There are many different examples through the United States expansion west where the government has lied to the native people.  

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     This image shows how many Native Americans were portrayed in Popular culture all throughout American History.  They are portrayed as savages and that they are a danger to civilized American citizens.  Popular culture will usually avoid how these attacks were almost always provoked by American citizens taking land or massacring the Native people.  

Trail of Tears

     One of the more famous examples of the United States government lying to the native people is known as the Trail of Tears.  The Trail of Tears started when the United States was interested in the land that was currently occupied by several native tribes in the southeastern part of the United States.  In order to gain these lands the United States government believed that relocating them further west would be a good solution.  The United States congress soon passed The Indian Removal act of 1830.  This act would give the president the power to negotiate with these tribes to relocate them and gain their land.  In the Indian Removal act it explains (1830) "That it shall and may be lawful for the President of the United States to cause so much of any territory belonging to the United States, west of the river Mississippi, not included in any state or organized territory, and to which the Indian title has been extinguished, as he may judge necessary, to be divided into a suitable number of districts, for the reception of such tribes or nations of Indians as may choose to exchange the lands where they now reside, and remove there; and to cause each of said districts to be so described by natural or artificial marks, as to be easily distinguished from every other."  This quote explains that the government was supposed to give the choice to the natives if they would like to move.  the Natives however were forced to relocate which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Native Americans.  This proved to be one of the examples of how the government had tricked and lied to the native people.  

Owning the land

     Another Large part of Manifest Destiny was civilizing the American west which Americans believed to be uncivilized and wasted land.  This is a concept that is often symbolized in western movies by building fences to show that you have made the land your own.  These ideas stem from very early in american history when people asked the question of what it really meant to own property.  One answer to this question was provided by John Locke when he wrote:  (1689) "By making an explicit consent of every commoner, necessary to any one's appropriating to himself any part of what is given in common, children or servants could not cut the meat, which their father or master had provided for them in common, without assigning to every one his peculiar part. Though the water running in the fountain be every one's, yet who can doubt, but that in the pitcher is his only who drew it out? His labour hath taken it out of the hands of nature, where it was common, and belonged equally to all her children, and hath thereby appropriated it to himself" (sec.29). In this quote John Locke explains that if a person puts labor into something that is common then it becomes his property.  This is one way that American citizens justified taking land from the Native Americans.  

     The lifestyle that Native Americans lived was very different from the lifestyle that Americans were used to.  The Native Americans Lived a nomadic lifestyle which meant that they would move to different regions during different seasons.  They would do this because during some seasons it would be more beneficial to hunt in one area while in other seasons it would be more beneficial to farm in another region.  Some tribes would also move to different regions following buffalo herds.  The American citizens were not able to understand this lifestyle.  The American lifestyle was more stationary where they would build a house on one spot of land and live there for most of their lives.  Using the ideas that were written by John Locke American citizens believed that they owned this land because they put labor into it which meant they would build a house on it and would farm for goods.  They tried to use this model to explain the Native Americans way of life and believed that because they had not put labor into one piece of land that they did not own it when they actually were using all of that land.  This is one of the reasons Americans were able to justify moving west because they believed that this land was being wasted by the Native Americans.  Although they used this justification for moving west when it was found that some Native American tribes did live a lifestyle very close to theirs like the tribes from the Ohio river valley they would mostly ignore it.  

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     This is a picture of an ancient tribe near the Ohio river Valley.  This picture depicts a city with a very different lifestyle from the lifestyle that Native tribes were thought to live.  This city means that this tribe would have lived a stationary lifestyle rather than a nomadic one.  The impact of this discovery for Americans would be that this land that they want to take is in fact someone elses property due to their definition of ownership.  

Native Americans in Popular Culture

     Throughout American history Native Americans have been portrayed in many pieces of popular culture.  Many of the roles portrayed by Native Americans are often times the "bad guy" or they are shown as an obstacle that needs to be overcome.  These roles started very early in American history with stories like that of Daniel Boone and continues through to 20th century movies which were often of the western genre.  The way that the United States government has treated Native people is an obvious reason for the way that Native Americans are portrayed in movies and other pieces of popular culture.  

Daniel Boone

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     Daniel Boone is often portrayed as a very important explorer and a hero.  He is Famous for exploring the region that is now Kentucky and for battling Native American tribes in the region such as the Shawnee.  Daniel Boone is one of the first people to help make the idea of moving out into the west and surviving in the wild a popular and heroic idea.  This narrative is one of the reasons that many American citizens found it desirable to move out west.  The Story of Daniel Boone is still well known in popular Culture.  One example of how the story of Daniel boone is portrayed is in a cartoon that was aired in 1960.  In this cartoon Daniel Boone is described as "a great man who served his country well."  This cartoon then shows Boone exploring the west and his encounters with Native Americans.  These encounters would always depict the Native people as savage and an enemy to american citizens.  These ideas certainly played a role in how Americans viewed Native people and helped to lead to many terrible events for them.  

Westerns

     Another example of Native Americans in popular culture is the western genre.  In the western genre of movies and literature one of the most common themes is known as "cowboys vs Indians".  In this theme the Native Americans are typically portrayed as savages who attack the American citizens.  This portrayal of Native Americans helped to give them a negative stereotype during this time period.  An example of this stereotyping in a western movie is the movie Fort Apache.  In this movie Native Americans are portrayed as dangerous savages who attacked white settlers.  One of the main dilemas of the movie was determining how the Native people would be treated.  The man in charge decided that they would attack the natives instead of treating them humanely.  

Mexican American War

     An early example of Americans expanding their borders was their interaction with the nation of Mexico. The location of the border between mexico and the Republic of Texas had been a highly disputed issue. During this time period some of the popular literature that was being distributed in the United States were guides for immigrants to move out west.   One example of an immigrant guide is "Texas In 1840."  In this guide the author explains that settling the west is for average middle class citizens and not the wealthy.  This is because an average citizen could afford to by land in the west and would be able to build a farm big enough to support a family and become wealthy.  He also states that wealthy citizens would not be ready for the labor or the lifestyle of living in the west.  Having these ideas circulating in popular literature helps to explain the ideas of manifest destiny in america.  These ideas were very popular with middle class citizens and helped to encourage america's expansion west.  

     One of the main causes of Americans expanding west was the belief that their culture was superior to anyone else's who was occupying the west.  A good example of this was in the annexation of Texas and the Mexican American War.  An example of this idea comes in the immigrant guide "Texas in 1840", (1840) "In point of character for intelligence, vigor or enterprise, the Mexicans are far inferior to Anglo-Americans, or any class of European” (p. 226).  This quote shows one of the main ideas that resulted from manifest destiny.  This idea was that Americans were culturally superior to the groups of people that were in the west.  In this example is is obvious that the author believes that American citizens are superior to Mexican citizens.  For the Americans moving west this caused them to believe that it was their duty to spread their culture.  This idea can be linked to the idea of the white mans burden.  The white mans burden is an idea that it is the burden of white men to spread their culture and religion to other parts of the world.  

     After many conflicts between the Republic of Texas and the nation of Mexico the United States government decided to annex Texas.  The United States Magazine and democratic review describe the relationship with mexico by saying (1847) "We may start the proposition, then, that our relations with Mexico for twenty years past have been of an offensive and threatening character." (p. 291) This quote accurateley describes how the United States was interested in gaining more land and did not care about the Mexican citizens.   This is another example of how many Americans believed that the west was the god-given right of the united states.  This action resulted in the Mexican American war.  The end result of this war defined the Texas Mexico border.  One of the main causes of all of these events has been the popular culture in america.  This culture has been influence by manifest destiny so that many Americans believed that it was their right and their burden to make the republic of Texas a part of the United States.  

Civilizing the West

     Another Large idea the stems from manifest destiny is civilizing the American west which was believed to be an uncivilized wasteland by American citizens.  This idea has changed the borders of america and has also Shaped the industries that are in the west.  The idea of civilizing the west has been an idea that popular culture shows as being very american.  Many western movies portray this idea as building a fence around your property to make it your own and to symbolize that it has been civilized.  This notion has helped the united states to build monuments like the hoover dam which has helped industries to grow.  

National Parks

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The Picture Shows Theodore Roosevelt at Yosemite national park.

     The creation of National Parks can be seen as one of the last steps of Manifest destiny.  Throughout the united States expansion west the main goal has always been to make the United States span from sea to shining sea.  The idea of creating national parks can be seen as the united states officially owning the west even though it is the opposite from civilizing it.  the united States Government is now recognizing the importance of conservation of the environment.  

     Industry

     During the early to mid nineteenth century a lot of industry was brought into the west which originated from the ideas of manifest destiny.  Many very important advancements were made in the west which allowed industry to prosper.  One important example of this is the hoover dam.  The Hoover dam began construction during the great depression in 1931.  This can be seen as one of the final steps for manifest destiny and civilizing the west.  The hoover dam is one way that the government was able to introduce electricity into the west which meant that the west would no longer be untamed and uncivilized.  

Conclusion

     The idea of manifest destiny is possibly one of the greatest factors that has lead to the shape and the Culture of the United States that exists today.  History has shown that that the idea of manifest destiny started very early in american history and began to shape the culture.  These ideas began from the idea that america was a superior nation and that this way of life was superior.  These ideas helped to form the notion in Americans minds that the west was the god given right for the united states.  These ideas also extended to the people that were occupying the territories in the west.  Popular culture in america would portray people like the Native Americans and Mexican citizens as savages and inferior.  These ideas in popular culture helped to further the view that bringing civilization to the west was a way of helping these people by forcing them to assimilate into american culture.  This is an example of the belief of the white mans burden.  The final results of manifest destiny completely changed the maps of the united states to allow it to span from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific.  This notion continued to have lasting effects on the culture of america where even after the west coast america continued practices of expansion and imperialism.  

Sources

Winthrop j.  (1630). City Upon a Hill.

(1830). Indian Removal Act.  Library of Congress. 

(1847, April). The Mexican War-Its Origin and Conduct. The United States Magazine and Democratic Review, 20, 291-299

(1960).  Daniel Boone [Television series episode].  New World Productions [Producer], Mell-o-Toons.  

(1840). Texas In 1840.  New York: W.W. Allen.

Locke j.  (1689).  Second Treatise of Government.  sec. 29