Which ideology believed that America was ordained to expand across the continent and spread democracy?
Social Darwinism
Isolationism
Imperialism
Manifest Destiny
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is Manifest Destiny.
Manifest Destiny was a 19th-century ideology that believed the United States was destined by God to expand across North America. The term was first coined by journalist John L. O’Sullivan in 1845, and it encapsulated the belief that Americans had a divine right and obligation to spread their political system, culture, and economic practices across the continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Proponents argued that this expansion was inevitable and morally justified, often using the idea of spreading democracy and civilization to justify the annexation of territories such as Texas, Oregon, and California.
This belief was tied to the idea of American exceptionalism, the conviction that the U.S. was a unique and superior nation with a special mission. Manifest Destiny was closely linked to the growing movement for territorial expansion during the mid-1800s, a period marked by the acquisition of new lands and the displacement of Native American populations. It also influenced the U.S.’s stance on issues like the Mexican-American War, which resulted in the annexation of vast southwestern territories.
Critics of Manifest Destiny viewed it as a form of imperialism and an unjust attempt to expand at the expense of indigenous peoples and neighboring countries. The ideology often ignored the rights of Native Americans and justified the forcible removal of them from their lands through policies like the Trail of Tears.
In summary, Manifest Destiny was a powerful ideological force that justified U.S. territorial expansion in the 19th century, deeply influencing the nation’s foreign and domestic policies during that era.