Final answer:
The old Methodist 'mission statement' was 'to win the continent and to spread scriptural holiness over these lands.' Throughout the 1800s, the United States believed it was destined to expand democratic institutions and Protestantism across the continent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The old Methodist 'mission statement' was 'to win the continent and to spread scriptural holiness over these lands.'
Throughout the 1800s, the United States believed it was destined to expand democratic institutions and Protestantism across the continent. Missionaries played a prominent role in this civilizing mission, establishing churches and schools to convert and assimilate indigenous peoples. This expansion of Christianity was also seen during the Age of Exploration and in later missionary efforts in places like Asia. The missionary impulse was compatible with the desire for American expansion and democracy.