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Manifest Destiny Analysis

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The phrase “Manifest Destiny” is a phrase that describes an attitude or belief in the mid 1800’s the early Americans were destined by God to grow the nation from coast to coast. This expansion would not only consist of territory, but liberty and economic opportunity as well. This social movement became a generally accepted justification for conquering western lands from Mexico and Native Americans. Early Americans can be described as having many different attitudes that fed the narrative of Manifest Destiny, two of which seemed to be highlighted in the writings of Richard Henry Dana within his book Two Years Before the Mast. I believe that the early attitudes of superiority and greed would become a driving force in the belief in Manifest Destiny. In the early 1800’s Americans of European decent had a sense of superiority over the other peoples who lived in North America for hundreds of years before their arrival. The reader gets a glimpse of this attitude as Dana describes the trade business with the people up and down the territory of California. Dana states that “the Californians are an idle, thriftless people and can make nothing for themselves” (81). This description of the people in California sheds light on the belief that they were a people lacking in drive and sophistication. Once a reader in the 1800’s would read this statement it would re-enforce the belief that westerners were unworthy of the lands they occupy. Dana goes on to describe the country abounding in

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