USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In 1823, Monroe invoked Manifest Destiny when he spoke before Congress to warn European nations not to interfere with America’s Westward expansion, threatening that any attempt by Europeans to colonize the “American continents” would be seen as an act of war.

Detailed explanation-2: -With its triumph in the Mexican-American War, the United States seemingly realized its Manifest Destiny by gaining an immense domain (more than 525, 000 square miles [1, 360, 000 square km] of land), including present-day Arizona, California, western Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.

Detailed explanation-3: -Wilson’s version of Manifest Destiny was a rejection of expansionism and an endorsement (in principle) of self-determination, emphasizing that the United States had a mission to be a world leader for the cause of democracy.

Detailed explanation-4: -US President James K. Polk (1845-1849) is the leader most associated with Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny inflamed sectional tensions over slavery, which ultimately led to the Civil War.

Detailed explanation-5: -The desire for more land brought aspiring homesteaders to the frontier. When gold was discovered in California in 1848, the number of migrants increased even more. At the heart of manifest destiny was the pervasive belief in American cultural and racial superiority.