Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny represented a new wave of American nationalism. The term was first started by a newspaper editor, John L. O'Sullivan. It influenced people to move westward and once again reinforced the American people's superiority with aspirations to gain control of the entire North America. This was preceded, to an extent, by the Monroe Doctrine which gave the United States a superior status in the American continent. Manifest Destiny told the Americans that God was on their side in American expansionism. It also implied "free development" where Americans are to spread their democratic policies to the entire America, so that people can have local self-government and the democratic institutions that other foreign governments did not provide in North America. The third premise was that population growth required America to expand its territory. Manifest Destiny overall indirectly led to the expansion of US territory.