Manifest Destiny
Several factors combined to produce the expansionist movement known as the Manifest Destiny. Chief among these was the seemingly habitual ambition, nurtured by the restlessness of the American pioneer spirit, to move on to new land. Expanding the United States to the Pacific involved risks, for it meant taking the land claimed or settled by other peoples. The United States, with limited military power, had to weigh carefully the possibility of hostilities with Native Americans on the plains, with Mexicoin Texas, and with Britain. The first area where the advance of American settlement caused serious friction with Britian was in the Northeast. Because of confusing language in the Treaty of Paris after the Revolution, the northern and eastern boundaries of Maine had been uncertain. As long as the region was unoccupied, this was not a serious matter. In 1838, however, the British decided to construct an overland road to connect St. John on the Bay of Fundy with Mon
The Oregon Territory extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, bordering Russian Alaska to the north and California to the South. Oregon was originally claimed by four countries-- the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and Russia. By 1824, however, only the Americans and the British were left to compete for the control of Oregon. In spite of friction and ill feeling, there were practical reasons for persuing peace. The most important reason was that the United States and Brtitain each profited from the other's trade. The negotiators--Daniel Webster, the American secretary of state, and Lord Ashburton, the husband of an Americanheiress--decided that it was impossible to fix the correct boundary of Maine. Instead, the 1842 treaty divided the disputed territory as fairly as they could. Great Britain got what it wanted most: enough land to make possible a direct route from the St. Lawrence River to New Brunswick. The United States received what it wanted--t
Some common words found in the essay are:
Joseph Smith, Americans British, Native Americans, United Pacific, Paris Revolution, Smith Brigham, Van Buren, Americans Oregon, Aroostook Valley, Maine Instead, joseph smith, native americans,
Approximate Word count = 663
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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