Final answer:
The statement is false. The westward expansion of Euro-American settlers greatly impacted our concepts of preserving wilderness, as it led to significant environmental changes and influenced American identity and conservation policies. Manifest Destiny justified expansion that transformed the North American environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the westward expansion of Euro-American settlers in North America had no impact whatsoever on our ideas of preserving wilderness is false. Historical accounts indicate that the Americas were already extensively populated and altered by indigenous people before European colonization. The westward expansion led to significant environmental changes, including the clearing of vast tracts of forest during the Industrial Revolution and the shaping of American character and policies towards land conservation and indigenous peoples. Manifest Destiny and policies like the Indian Removal Act altered the landscape and led to conflicts and displacement of Native tribes. As Euro-Americans pushed westward, the ideas about wilderness, conservation, and American identity itself evolved significantly.
The concept of Manifest Destiny justified the expansion and resulted in the transformation of North American environments. Areas that were once considered pristine wilderness were often already altered or managed by indigenous populations, whose existence and impact were frequently overlooked or marginalized in Euro-American narratives.