• History -> History of the Americas

• 0 Comment

What role did slavery play in the Manifest Destiny movement and resulting territorial expansion?

Shena Wickett

Slavery was a very important and terrible part of American history. It played a big role in the Manifest Destiny movement and the expansion of the United States' territory.

During the 1800s, many people believed in Manifest Destiny, which was the idea that Americans were destined to spread across the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. They believed that it was their duty to do this and that God wanted them to do it.

Unfortunately, at this time, there was also a lot of slavery in America. Slavery is when one person owns another person and forces them to work without pay. Slaves were treated very badly and did not have any freedom. They were often bought and sold like property.

The people who believed in Manifest Destiny also believed in expansion. They wanted to move west and take over land that belonged to Native Americans and Mexico. They believed that they were superior to these groups and that it was okay to take their land.

Many of the people who wanted to expand also owned slaves. They wanted to be able to bring their slaves with them to the new territories, and they wanted to be able to buy and sell slaves in those territories too. This was a big part of why they wanted to expand.

As the United States expanded westward, there were many conflicts between the people moving in and the Native Americans who lived there. The settlers often took land that the Native Americans had lived on for thousands of years. The Native Americans were forced to move to reservations or were killed.

Slavery also caused a lot of problems during this time. Many people in the North did not like slavery and wanted it to end. But the people in the South who owned slaves did not want to give them up. This disagreement was one of the reasons that America fought the Civil War.

So, while the idea of Manifest Destiny sounded good to some people, it caused a lot of problems for others. Slavery was a big part of it, and it was a very sad and cruel thing. Today, we remember these events so that we can learn from them and make sure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.