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What does the term Manifest Destiny suggest about indigenous people?

User Kungfoo
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Final answer:

Manifest Destiny implied that American expansion was inevitable and justified, leading to the forceful Americanization of indigenous peoples and justification of dispossessing them of their lands.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term Manifest Destiny suggests that indigenous people and other inhabitants of territories across North America were viewed under the lens of American exceptionalism and the destiny of the United States to spread its borders and influence. This concept implied that the expansion of American territory and democratic institutions was justified and inevitable, often at the expense of the autonomy and ways of life of indigenous populations and other non-American residents, who were expected to be Americanized. Attempts by these groups to resist expansion were typically met with force, as the expansionist ideology did not significantly recognize the existing rights or claims of indigenous peoples to their lands.

User Drew Gaynor
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