Manifest Destiny continues to influence American politics. However, it wasn't a founding principal or theory of the American republic. It morphed into it.
Thomas Jefferson was the first (?) to shift from being against expansionism to purchasing Louisiana - a sweet deal. In its early days of the Republic, (I suppose much like Rome under Caesar) the Americans were indeed isolationist in their posture.
And then they became the most powerful and mighty nation in history. It was bound to change its course.
Things change.
Jefferson certainly didn't support "Manifest Destiny" as it would be understood and practiced in the next few generations to come. The Louisiana Purchase (and acquisition of Florida)certainly changed the situation very rapidly.
ReplyDeleteThe need however for Southern slave-holding to keep expanding into new territories, and the rapid expansion of trade and transit methods making trans-continental trading and commerce possible, and desirable over a vast continent gave a lot of credence to the manifest destiny doctrine for at least a certain period of time -- through the late 19th Century. I believe that Manifest Destiny did have a strong influence upon the Progressives of the early 20th Century. It gave them a sort of precedent to develop their own ideas, leading most notably to War with Spain in 1898, but also to the building of the Panama Canal, and the U. S. Navy's application of the Thayer doctrine.
btw. I responded, and offered my own two-cents about the current adventure over at my blog. Thanks for jumping in over there too.
ReplyDeletehttp://zeusiswatching.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/i-wasnt-impressed/