Question

Describe the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. Why did it arise in the 1840s?

Answer 1

Manifest Destiny was a phrase coined in 1845, expressing the philosophy to drive the 19th-century U.S. territorial expansion. According to the Manifest Destiny is was thought that the United States was destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism in the entire North American continent.

It arose in the 1840s as its cause lies in the fact that the historical connection of the American people to the English civilization. Since they were white and civilized, the Americans felt superior to the Indians. They felt that the Indians' lack of civilization has proved that they should be considered inferior.