Explain the phrase "Manifest Destiny" and what activities did Americans justify with this phrase?

Question

Explain the phrase "Manifest Destiny" and what activities did Americans justify with this phrase?

Answer 1

Manifest Destiny was the philosophy used to justify the genocidal treatment of the Native Americans by the U.S. government in expanding the country to the west coast. This is intertwined with the Mexican War also as are the bloodlines of Native Americans and Mexicans. It basically claimed that it was God's intention that the nation be expanded.

Answer 2

"manifest destiny" was the phrase Americans used in the 19th century to justify moving west. Moving west at the time necessarily involved kicking Indian tribes off their land. Americans came to believe that it was their destiny to claim western land whether it was theirs or not.

Essentially, it was a way to justify mass Indian death