Effects of Manifest Destiny on Union and Division of the U.S
Manifest Destiny is a term coined in 1845, expressing the philosophy used by U.S leaders in the 19th century to drive territorial expansion. Manifest Destiny stated that the United States of America was created by God, who was the country’s advocates. God’s intention for the country was to spread democracy, capitalism and its dominion across the entire North America continent. As a result, this expansion philosophy became the driving force that both united and brought division to the U.S from 1830 to 1860.
The occupation of North America continent by the people of the U.S was one of the greatest movement of the period that help lay the foundation of the current United States. The admission of new states into the Union meant that the new states would be controlled by the constitution of the Union. This feature allowed new states such as Texas to join the union, yet at the same time brought division among the states because of different position on the issues of slavery and slave trade (Editorial).
The admission of Texas into the union posed a significant threat to the existence of a peaceful and the just United States because unlike the other states which favoured the existence of slavery, as the main source of the economic prosperity of the Union, Texas opposed the slavery. To the states, Texas position was like false to God, the entire race, and Texas itself (Channing). Despite the possible constitutional crisis cause by incorporating Texas into the union, the Union had no choice because the existence of Texas as an independent state poses a great danger to the safety and peace of the Union if it allies with the powerful foreign nation (document 6). For example, the Anglo-Saxon had already shown its interest in California and were ready to provide support to California in its war against Mexico (document 4). Similarly, an alliance between Texas and Anglo-Saxon is, therefore, a threat to the internal and external sovereignty of the United States (O’Sullivan)
The risk of annexing Texas into the Union meant that the Union would be at war with any nation was in war with Texas. This will be the case similar to the fact that the United States was at war with Mexico because of its intention to support California struggle for independence from Mexico (Sumner). Annexing Texas meant that the new union would be at risk of civil conflict that would result from the different attitude on slavery between two opposing sides of one united country (Corwin).
As earlier predicted by those thinkers against the annexation of Texas, the period after the U.S territorial expansion led to civil war between the North and the South because of their different position on the legality of the institution of slavery. The resulting civil war marked the beginning of the greatest division between two sections of one country where many people lost their lives. The territorial expansion of the united states to include Texas in the union was, therefore, the cause future civil war in the United States of America.
It is evident, therefore, that the Manifest Destiny philosophy of territorial expansion had two effects: first, it united different independent states into one large and powerful country thus setting foundation to the existence of the current United States of America, and secondly; it led the country into deadly civil war between the southern and the northern states between 1861 and 1865.