Question

What did expansionists mean by the term manifest destiny?

Answer 1

Manifest destiny was an idea that gave Americans a destine by God to govern the North American region. The term Manifest destiny first used by John O'Sullivan in 1845 in a newspaper article. The destiny of American settlers was to move and expand across America to spread their traditions and their institutions, in other words, designed to remove or destroy the native population and their culture.

Answer 2

The doctrine of Manifest Destiny is a phrase and idea that expresses the belief that the United States of America is a nation destined to expand from the coasts of the Atlantic to the Pacific. This idea is also used by supporters to justify other territorial acquisitions. The supporters of this ideology believe that the expansion is not only good, but also obvious (manifest) and accurate.