Manifest Destinys meaning to American expansion

Manifest Destiny was a term that came to describe a widespread belief in the middle of the 19th century that the United States had a special mission to expand westward. The specific phrase was originally used in print by a journalist, John L. OSullivan, when writing about the proposed annexation of Texas. OSullivan, writing in the Democratic Review newspaper in July 1845, asserted our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. He was essentially saying the United States possessed a right granted by God to take territory in the West and install its values and system of government. That concept was not especially new, as Americans had already been exploring and settling westward, first across the Appalachian Mountains in the late 1700s, and then, in the early 1800s, beyond the Mississippi River. But by presenting the concept of westward expansion as something of a religious mission, the idea of manifest destiny struck a chord. Though the phrase manifest destiny may seem to have captured the public mood of the mid-19th century, it was not viewed with universal approval. Some at the time thought it was simply putting pseudo-religious polish on blatant avarice and conquest. Writing in the late 19th century, future president Theodore Roosevelt, referred to the concept of taking property in furtherance of manifest destiny as having been belligerent, or more properly speaking, piratical. The Push Westward The idea of expanding into the West had always been attractive, since settlers including Daniel Boone moved inland, across the Appalachians, in the 1700s. Boone had been instrumental in the establishment of what became known as the Wilderness Road, which led through the Cumberland Gap into the lands of Kentucky. And American politicians in the early 19th century, such as Henry Clay of Kentucky, eloquently made the case that the future of America lay westward. A severe financial crisis in 1837 emphasized the notion that the United States needed to expand its economy. And political figures such as Senator Thomas H. Benton of Missouri, made the case that settling along the Pacific would greatly enable trade with India and China. The Polk Administration The president most associated with the concept of manifest destiny is James K. Polk, whose single term in the White House was focused on the acquisition of California and Texas. Its worth nothing that Polk had been nominated by the Democratic Party, which was generally closely associated with expansionist ideas in the decades before the Civil War. And a Polk campaign slogan in the 1844 campaign, Fifty-four forty or fight, was a specific reference to expanding into the Northwest. What was meant by the slogan was that the border between the United States and British territory to the north would be at north latitude 54 degrees and 40 minutes. Polk got the votes of the expansionists by threatening to go to war with Britain to acquire territory. But after he was elected he negotiated the border at 49 degrees north latitude. Polk thus secured the territory that today is the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Wyoming and Montana. The American desire to expand into the Southwest was also satisfied during Polks term in office as the Mexican War resulted in the United States acquiring Texas and California. By pursuing a policy of manifest destiny, Polk could be considered the most successful president of the seven men who struggled in the office in the two decades before the Civil War.  In that period between 1840 and 1860, when most occupants of the White House couldnt point to any real achievements, Polk had managed to greatly increase the territory of the nation. Controversy of Manifest Destiny Though no serious opposition to westward expansion developed, the policies of Polk and the expansionists were criticized in some quarters. Abraham Lincoln, for instance, while serving as a one-term Congressman in the late 1840s, was opposed to the Mexican War, which he believed was a pretext for expansion. And in the decades following the acquisition of western territory, the concept of manifest destiny has been continually analyzed and debated. In modern times, the concept has often been viewed in terms of what it meant to the native populations of the American West, which were, of course, displaced or even eliminated by expansionist policies of the United States government. The lofty tone which John L. OSullivan intended when he used the term has not carried into the modern era.

Writing Compare and Contrast Essays

Before you begin to draft a compare and contrast essay, you should brainstorm by creating a Venn diagram or a chart to list the ​pros and cons of each subject you are comparing to another. The first paragraph of your compare and contrast essay should contain references to both sides of your comparison. This paragraph should end with a thesis sentence that sums up your overall purpose or results, like this: While city life brings many social opportunities, country life can provide the best of both worlds. Comparison essays can be constructed in two ways. You can focus on one side of your comparison at a time, describing the pros and cons of one topic first and then moving on to the next topic, like the example here: Cities have lots of great restaurants.City life offers culturally diverse populations.Cities contain theaters, sporting events, and other activities.Country life brings fresh produce within easy reach.Country life is quiet living with the opportunity to travel into cities for cultural exposure.Entertainment opportunities exist in the country, as well.Summary paragraph You could instead alternate your focus, covering one after the other in a back-and-forth pattern. Cities have lots of great restaurants.On the other hand, country life brings fresh produce within easy reach.Cities contain theaters, sporting events, and other activities.But entertainment opportunities exist in the country, as well.City life offers culturally diverse populations.However, country life is quiet living with the opportunity to travel into cities for cultural exposure. Make sure that each paragraph contains a smooth transition statement, and end your essay with a sound conclusion. Country Life or City Life? City Country Entertainment theaters, clubs festivals, bonfires, etc. Culture museums historic places Food restaurants produce Some ideas for your compare and contrast essay might make your work easier. Think about the following topics and see if one feels right for you. middle school and high school experiencepizza and spaghettidoing household chores or doing homeworkprivate school and public schoolattending big university and attending small collegecomparing two gamescomparing two types of phoneslaptops to tabletscomparing two teaching stylescomparing English to Spanishowning a dog and owning a cattravel abroad and domestic travelgrowing up rich and growing up poortalking to dad and talking to momhaving a sister and having a brother If the list above doesnt appeal to you, it may spark an original idea that fits your situation. This type of essay can be a lot of fun!

Forbidden City Free Essays

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, and now houses the Palace Museum. It was built from 1406 to 1420 by the third Ming emperor Yongle, who upon usurping the throne, determined to move his capital north from Nanjing to Beijing. We will write a custom essay sample on Forbidden City or any similar topic only for you Order Now In 1911 the Qing dynasty fell to the republican revolutionaries. The last emperor, Puyi , continued to live in the palace after his abdication until he was expelled in 1924.Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled from this palace during this 500-year span. â€Å"The Forbidden City† is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng. The name â€Å"Zijin Cheng† is a name with significance on many levels. Zi? , refers to the North Star, which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the abode of the Celestial Emperor. The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart. Jin? , referred to the fact that no-one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor’s permission. [1] LayoutThe Forbidden City is surrounded by 10-metre high walls and a 52-metre wide moat. Measuring 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west, it covers an area of 720,000 square meters. Each of the four sides is pierced by a gate, the Meridian Gate on the south and the Gate of Spiritual Valor on the north. Once inside, visitors will see a succession of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of an invisible central axis. It is a magnificent sight, the buildings’ glowing yellow roofs against vermilion walls, not to mention their painted ridges and carved beams, all contributing to the sumptuous effect.The southern portion of the Forbidden City centers on the halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony, and Preserving Harmony. These are flanked by the halls of Literary Glory and Military Eminence. It was here that the emperor held court and conducted his grand audiences. In total, the buildings of the two courts account for an area of some 163,000 square meters. These were laid out precisely in accordance with a code of architectural hierarchy, which designated specific features to reflect the paramount authority and status of the emperor.No ordinary mortal would have been allowed or even dared to come within close proximity of these buildings. [2] The Last Owner – Puyi After the republican revolution, this Palace as a whole would have been sequestered by the Nationalist government were it not for the â€Å"Articles of Favorable Treatment of the Qing House† which allowed Puyi to live on in the Inner Court after his abdication. Meanwhile, all of the imperial treasures from palaces in Rehe (today’s Chengde ) and Mukden (today’s Shenyang ) were moved to the Forbidden City for public display in History Museum established at the Outer Court in 1914.3] In 1924, during a coup launched by the warlord Feng Yuxiang , Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City and the management of the palace fell to the charge of a committ ee set up to deal with the concerns of the deposed imperial family. The committee began a sorting and counting of the imperial treasures. A year of intense preparations later, its members arranged a grand ceremony on 10 October 1925 in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity to mark the inception of the Palace Museum. My Impression Although I already travel the Forbidden City for twice time, I have not deeply understand about its history background.According this project, I get more details about the Forbidden City. It not only a grand construction, but also treasury of ancient china history. In the traveler view, it just a famous travel point. However, in Chinese mind ,the forbidden city represent the grandeur history about China. In modern century, we even can travel this place in the internet. According this technology, it is not difficult to travel Beijing forbidden city even you are in the other side of the world. How to cite Forbidden City, Papers

Forbidden City Free Essays

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, and now houses the Palace Museum. It was built from 1406 to 1420 by the third Ming emperor Yongle, who upon usurping the throne, determined to move his capital north from Nanjing to Beijing. We will write a custom essay sample on Forbidden City or any similar topic only for you Order Now In 1911 the Qing dynasty fell to the republican revolutionaries. The last emperor, Puyi , continued to live in the palace after his abdication until he was expelled in 1924.Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled from this palace during this 500-year span. â€Å"The Forbidden City† is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng. The name â€Å"Zijin Cheng† is a name with significance on many levels. Zi? , refers to the North Star, which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the abode of the Celestial Emperor. The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart. Jin? , referred to the fact that no-one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor’s permission. [1] LayoutThe Forbidden City is surrounded by 10-metre high walls and a 52-metre wide moat. Measuring 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west, it covers an area of 720,000 square meters. Each of the four sides is pierced by a gate, the Meridian Gate on the south and the Gate of Spiritual Valor on the north. Once inside, visitors will see a succession of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of an invisible central axis. It is a magnificent sight, the buildings’ glowing yellow roofs against vermilion walls, not to mention their painted ridges and carved beams, all contributing to the sumptuous effect.The southern portion of the Forbidden City centers on the halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony, and Preserving Harmony. These are flanked by the halls of Literary Glory and Military Eminence. It was here that the emperor held court and conducted his grand audiences. In total, the buildings of the two courts account for an area of some 163,000 square meters. These were laid out precisely in accordance with a code of architectural hierarchy, which designated specific features to reflect the paramount authority and status of the emperor.No ordinary mortal would have been allowed or even dared to come within close proximity of these buildings. [2] The Last Owner – Puyi After the republican revolution, this Palace as a whole would have been sequestered by the Nationalist government were it not for the â€Å"Articles of Favorable Treatment of the Qing House† which allowed Puyi to live on in the Inner Court after his abdication. Meanwhile, all of the imperial treasures from palaces in Rehe (today’s Chengde ) and Mukden (today’s Shenyang ) were moved to the Forbidden City for public display in History Museum established at the Outer Court in 1914.3] In 1924, during a coup launched by the warlord Feng Yuxiang , Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City and the management of the palace fell to the charge of a committ ee set up to deal with the concerns of the deposed imperial family. The committee began a sorting and counting of the imperial treasures. A year of intense preparations later, its members arranged a grand ceremony on 10 October 1925 in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity to mark the inception of the Palace Museum. My Impression Although I already travel the Forbidden City for twice time, I have not deeply understand about its history background.According this project, I get more details about the Forbidden City. It not only a grand construction, but also treasury of ancient china history. In the traveler view, it just a famous travel point. However, in Chinese mind ,the forbidden city represent the grandeur history about China. In modern century, we even can travel this place in the internet. According this technology, it is not difficult to travel Beijing forbidden city even you are in the other side of the world. How to cite Forbidden City, Papers