The
Oregon Trail
Manifest
Destiny, a phrase used by leaders and politicians in the 1840’s to explain
continental
expansion by the United
States, revitalized a sense of “mission” or national destiny for Americans.
The
people of the United States felt it was their mission to expand the boundaries
of freedom to others by
having others conform
to their ideals and beliefs in a democratic government.
The
Native Americans were recognized as a self- governed nation and not part
of the European origin,
therefore they were excluded.
To
understand Manifest Destiny, it’s essential to understand the need and
desires of the United States at this period
of time. The United States was growing at huge rates as more immigrants
were coming into America and
the size of families grew. The family farm was recognized at this
time and having a large family was an asset when
it came time to work the fields.
In
1818 and 1839 the United States suffered two major depressions. Moving
to the frontier opened opportunities for many; new commerce and land ownership
could bring wealth to many.
Many people took advantage of the possibility of owning land (land prices
were inexpensive), staking a claim for the future and a fresh new start.
The possibilities were worth the extremely hard trip and many headed out
west.
Just
to grease your wheels a little, you might want to start thinking as a reporter
or researcher. Ask yourself who, what, where,when, why, and how.
Then your “job” as researcher is to answer the questions and answer them
in the style of article you want from the task page.
Helpful resources:
From
revolution to Reconstruction: Essays: Manifest Destiny: Index
Autobiography
of John Ball
Introduction
to the Oregon Trail
Manifest
Destiny
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