Final answer:
The primary objective of Manifest Destiny expansionists was continental expansion across North America, rather than conquest of a specific territory like Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, or Hawaii. This movement was characterized by a belief in the inevitability and righteousness of American territorial expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The correct answer is option e.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary objective of Manifest Destiny expansionists in the 1850s was not specifically towards Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, Hawaii, or any other singular territory. The ethos of Manifest Destiny was broader and encompassed the belief that American expansion was preordained, just, and inevitable. The Ostend Manifesto, for example, related to expansionist interests in Cuba, but the overarching goal of Manifest Destiny was to spread across the continent - from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
Key Concepts of Manifest Destiny
- The United States would expand "from sea to shining sea."
- Residents of areas under expansion would be Americanized.
- Spreading the boundaries of the United States was equivalent to spreading freedom.
Expansion during this era significantly shaped the nation, adding territories like Texas and Oregon, and leading to the Mexican-American War, which resulted in the acquisition of areas including California. While the motives of expansionists varied, and specific interests in territories like Cuba were part of the larger picture (as evidenced by the controversy over the Ostend Manifesto), the essential purpose was continental expansion.