H. O Sullivan Manifest Destiny PDF

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John L. O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny, 1839 Ex c e r p t e df r o m" Th eGr e a tNat i o no fFu t u r i t y , "Th eUn i t e dS t at e sDe mo c r at i cRe v i e w, Vo l u me6 , I s s u e 2 3 , p p . 42 6 4 3 0 . Th ec o mp l e t ear t i c l ec a nb ef o un di nTh eMa k i n go f Ame r i c aS e r i e satCor n e l l Un i v e r s i t y QUESTI ON: 1 .Wh oi sJ o h nO’ Su l l i van? (google him!) a. John Louis O'Sullivan was an American columnist and editor who used the term "manifest destiny" in 1845 to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Country to the United States. Th eAme r i c a npe o pl eh a v i n gd e r i v e dt h e i ro r i g i nf r om ma n yo t he rn a t i o n s , a n dt h eDe c l a r a t i o nof Na t i o na lI n d e p e n d e nc eb e i n ge n t i r e l yb a s e do nt h egr e a tp r i n c i p l eo fh u ma ne q u a l i t y , t h e s ef a c t s d e mo n s t r a t ea to n c eo u rd i s c o n n e c t e dp o s i t i o na sr e g a r d sa n yo t he rn a t i o n ;t ha tweh a v e , i nr e a l i t y , bu t l i t t l ec o n n e c t i o nwi t ht h ep a s th i s t o r yo fa n yo ft h e m, a n ds t i l ll e s swi t ha l la n t i q u i t y , i t sg l o r i e s , o ri t s c r i me s .Ont hec on t r a r y , o urn a t i o n a lb i r t hwa st heb e g i n n i n go fan e wh i s t o r y , t h ef or ma t i o na n dp r o g r e s s o fa nu nt r i e dp o l i t i c a ls y s t e m, whi c hs e pa r a t e su sf r o mt h ep a s ta n dc on n e c t su swi t ht h ef u t ur eon l y ; a n d s of a ra sr e g a r d st h ee n t i r ed e v e l o pme nto ft h en a t u r a lr i g h t so fma n , i nmo r a l , p ol i t i c a l ,a n dn a t i o na ll i f e , wema yc o n fide nt l ya s s u met h a to urc o un t r yi sd e s t i ne dt ob et h egr e a tna t i o no ff u t ur i t y . I ti ss od e s t i n e d, b e c a u s et h epr i n c i p l eu p onwhi c han a t i o ni so r g a n i z e dfix e si t sd e s t i n y , a n dt h a to f e q ua l i t yi sp e r f e c t , i su n i v e r s a l . I tp r e s i d e si na l lt h eo p e r a t i o nso ft hep h y s i c a lwor l d ,a n di ti sa l s ot h e c o ns c i o u sl a wo ft hes o u l -t hes e l f e v i de n td i c t a t e so fmo r a l i t y , wh i c ha c c u r a t e l yd e fin e st hedu t yofma n t oma n , a n dc o n s e q ue n t l yma n ' sr i g h t sa sma n . Be s i de s ,t h et r u t h f u la n n a l so fa n yn a t i o nf u r ni s ha b u n da n t e v i de n c e , t h a ti t sh a p p i n e s s , i t sg r e a t ne s s ,i t sd u r a t i o n, we r ea l wa y sp r o po r t i o n a t et ot h ed e mo c r a t i c e q ua l i t yi ni t ss y s t e mo fg o v e r nme n t . . . . QUESTI ON: 1 .Wh yi sAme r i c ade s t i ne dt ob eagr e a tn a t i ono ff ut u r i t y ? a .Be c a u s eAme r i c a ’ sp ol i t i c a ls y s t e mi su n i q u ea n dt h efir s to fi t s ’ki nd , i th a sn oc o n n e c t i o n t ot h ep a s ta n di so n l yb a s e dup o nt h ef u t u r e . Th es y s t e ma l s of oc u s e so ne q u a l i t ya n d n a t u r a lr i g ht sg i v i n gt h ep e op l emo r ev oi c ea n da l l o wst h e mt ol e a dt h ec o u nt r y . Wh a tf r i e n do fhu ma nl i b e r t y , c i v i l i z a t i on ,a n dr e fin e me n t , c a nc a s th i sv i e wo v e rt h ep a s th i s t o r yoft h e mo n a r c h i e sa n da r i s t o c r a c i e so fa nt i q u i t y , a n dn o td e p l o r et h a tt h e ye v e re x i s t e d ?Wh a tp h i l a n t hr o p i s tc a n c o nt e mp l a t et heo p pr e s s i o n s , t h ec r u e l t i e s , a n di n j us t i c ei n fli c t e db yt h e mo nt h ema s s e so fma n ki n d , a n d n o tt u r nwi t hmo r a lho r r o rf r o mt h er e t r o s p e c t ? Ame r i c ai sd e s t i n e df o rbe t t e rd e e d s . I ti so u ru n pa r a l l e l e dg l or yt ha tweh a v en or e mi n i s c e n c e so fb a t t l e fie l d s , b u t i nd e f e n c eo fhu ma n i t y , o ft h eo p p r e s s e do fa l ln a t i o n s , o ft h er i g h t so fc on s c i e n c e ,t h er i g h t so f p e r s o n a le n f r a n c h i s e me nt . Ou ra n n a l sd e s c r i ben os c e n e so fho r r i dc a r n a g e ,wh e r eme nwe r el e do nb y h u n d r e dso ft h o u s a n d st os l a yo nea no t h e r , d u pe sa ndv i c t i mst oe mpe r o r s , ki n gs ,n o b l e s , d e mo n si nt h e h u ma nf o r mc a l l e dh e r o e s . Weh a v eh a dp a t r i o t st ode f e n do u rh o me s , ou rl i b e r t i e s ,b u tn oa s p i r a n t st o c r o wn so rt h r o n e s ;n o rha v et h eAme r i c a np e o p l ee v e rs u ffe r e dt h e ms e l v e st ob el e do nb ywi c k e d a mbi t i ont od e p o p ul a t et hel a nd , t os p r e a dd e s o l a t i onf a ra ndwi d e ,t h a tah u ma nb e i n gmi gh tb ep l a c e do n as e a to fs u p r e ma c y . Weh a v en oi n t e r e s ti nt hes c e n e so fa n t i q u i t y , o n l ya sl e s s o n so fa v oi d a n c eo fn e a r l ya l lt h e i re x a mpl e s .

Th ee x p a ns i v ef u t ur ei so u ra r e n a , a n df o ro u rh i s t o r y .Wea r ee n t e r i n go ni t su n t r o d de ns p a c e , wi t ht h e t r u t h so fGo di no u rmi n d s , b e n e fic e nto b j e c t si no urh e a r t s , a n dwi t hac l e a rc o n s c i e nc eun s u l l i e db yt h e p a s t .Wea r et h ena t i o nofh u ma np r o g r e s s , a n dwhowi l l , wha tc a n ,s e tl i mi t st oou ro n wa r dma r c h ? Pr o v i d e n c ei swi t hu s , a n dn oe a r t h l yp o we rc a n . Wep o i n tt ot h ee v e r l a s t i n gt r u t ho nt h efir s t p a g eo fo u r n a t i o na lde c l a r a t i o n , a n dwep r oc l a i mt ot h emi l l i on sofo t h e rl a n d s , t h a t" t h eg a t e so fh e l l "-t h epo we r s o fa r i s t o c r a c ya n dmo na r c h y-" s h a l ln o tp r e v a i la g a i n s ti t . " QUESTI ON: 1 .Wh og i v e sAme r i c at h er i g h tt op r e s swe s t wa r da c c or d i n gt oO’ Su l l i v a n?Ci t et e x te v i d e n c e . a .Go d :“ t r u t h sofGo di no u rmi n d s ”a n d“ Pr o vi d e n c ei swi t hu s ” , Hu ma n sa n dhu ma nr i g h t s : “ d e f e n c eo fh uma n i t y , o ft h eo pp r e s s e do fa l ln a t i on s , oft h er i g h t so fc o n s c i e nc e , t h er i g ht s o fp e r s o n a le n f r a n c h i s e me n t ” ,h u ma np r o gr e s s :“ n a t i o no fhu ma np r o g r e s s , a n dwh owi l l , wh a tc a n ,s e tl i mi t st oou ro n wa r dma r c h ” ,a ndt h ef a c tt ha tn oo n ec a ns t o pt h e ms owh y n ot :“ t hep o we r so fa r i s t o c r a c ya n dmo na r c h y-" s h a l ln o tp r e v a i la g a i ns ti t . " ” Th ef a r r e a c hi n g , t h eb o u n d l e s sf u t u r ewi l lb et h ee r ao fAme r i c a ng r e a t n e s s . I ni t sma gn i fic e n td o ma i nof s pa c ea ndt i me , t h ena t i o nofma n yn a t i o nsi sd e s t i n e dt oma ni f e s tt oma n ki n dt h ee x c e l l e n c eo fd i v i n e p r i n c i p l e s ; t oe s t a b l i s ho ne a r t ht h en o bl e s tt e mp l ee v e rd e d i c a t e dt ot h ewo r s h i po ft heMo s tHi g h-t h e Sa c r e da n dt h eTr u e . I t sflo ors h a l lb eahe mi s ph e r e-i t sr oo ft h efir ma me nto ft hes t a r s t u d d e dh e a v e n s , a n di t sc o n g r e g a t i o na nUn i o no fma n yRe pu b l i c s , c omp r i s i n gh u n d r e d so fh a p p ymi l l i o n s ,c a l l i n g , o wn i n g n oma nma s t e r , bu tg o v e r n e db yGo d ' sn a t u r a la n dmor a ll a wofe qu a l i t y , t hel a wo fbr o t h e r h o o d-o f " p e a c ea n dg o o dwi l la mo n gs tme n . " . . . Ye s , wea r et h en a t i o no fp r o g r e s s , o fi n d i v i d u a lf r e e d om, o fu n i v e r s a le nf r a nc h i s e me n t .Eq u a l i t yo fr i g h t s i st hec y n os u r eo fo u ru ni o no fSt a t e s , t heg r a n de x e mp l a ro ft h ec o r r e l a t i v ee q u a l i t yo fi n d i v i d ua l s ;a n d wh i l et r u t hs h e d si t se fful g e n c e , wec a n no tr e t r og r a d e , wi t h o u td i s s o l vi n gt h eo n ea n ds u b v e r t i n gt h eo t h e r . Wemu s to n wa r dt ot h ef u l fil me n to fou rmi s s i o n-t ot h ee n t i r ed e v e l o pme ntoft h ep r i nc i pl eo fou r o r g a n i z a t i o n-f r e e d omo fc o n s c i e n c e , f r e e d o mo fpe r s o n , f r e e d o mo ft r a d ea n db u s i n e s sp ur s u i t s , u n i v e r s a l i t yoff r e e d om a n de q u a l i t y . Th i si so u rhi g hd e s t i n y ,a n di nn a t u r e ' se t e r n a l , i n e v i t a b l ed e c r e eo f c a u s ea n de ffe c twemu s ta c c o mp l i s hi t . Al lt h i swi l lb eo u rf u t u r eh i s t or y , t oe s t a b l i s ho ne a r t ht h emo r a l d i g ni t ya n ds a l v a t i o no fma n-t hei mmu t a b l et r u t ha ndb e n e fic e n c eo fGo d . Fo rt h i sbl e s s e dmi s s i o nt o t h en a t i o nso ft h ewo r l d , wh i c ha r es h u to u tf r o mt h el i f e g i vi n gl i g h to ft r u t h , ha sAme r i c ab e e nc h os e n ; a n dh e rh i g he x a mp l es h a l ls mi t eu nt ode a t ht h et y r a n n yo fki n g s , h i e r a r c h s , a n dol i ga r c h s ,a n dc a r r yt h e g l a dt i d i n g so fp e a c ea n dg o o dwi l lwhe r emy r i a d sno we n d ur ea ne x i s t e n c es c a r c e l ymo r ee n vi a bl et h a n t h a to fb e a s t so ft h efie l d. Wh o , t h e n, c a nd o u b tt h a to u rc o u n t r yi sd e s t i n e dt ob et h eg r e a tn a t i o no f f u t u r i t y ? QUESTION: 1. Do you find O’Sullivan’s argument to be compelling? Why or why not? a. In terms of a 21st century view, no considering the fact that nowadays America is one of the most powerful countries and I know the bad things that came along with moving west but if I lived in the 19th century, I would due to the emphasis on personal freedom, liberty, and rights (a new idea in this time period) and westward mobility would offer more land to me and make my new up-and-coming nation stronger and able to maintain independence and power. 2. Who might argue against O’Sullivan? What might they say? a. Native Americans would say that the land can’t belong to anyone but they currently live there and don’t want to be forced out, Whig Party would say that expanding would make

the U.S. unstable and they wanted to protect Native rights and avoid war with Mexico. England, Mexico, and Spain would disagree since they currently owned land in the west and didn’t want the U.S. to grow stronger and fight them.

Looking Westward Powerpoint Guide Slide/Information/Notes

Questions/Images Assess the image on the left: a. What do you see? i. b. What does it mean? i. c. Other thoughts? i.

Manifest Destiny -

What forces created this concept? -

Texas -

Texas Territory 1836

Oregon Territory -

Why does President Polk back off from the “54-40 or Fight” motto? -

Election of 1944 -

President Polk -

From the video last week...what were Polk’s goals as President? -

Trails -

Mexican War -

Why were some critical of the declaration of war against Mexico? -

Wilmot Proviso -

What were the South’s arguments against the Wilmot Proviso? -...