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Manifest Destiny's Impact on California

The United States government and people were strongly interested in the region of California due to the belief in Manifest Destiny and desire to expand the nation westward. Richard Henry Dana's vivid description of California's fertile landscape and bountiful resources in his book Two Years Before the Mast further increased American interest in the region and belief that it should be part of the United States. The strategic location of California on the Pacific Coast was also a major factor in the government's interest in acquiring the territory, which eventually led to the Mexican-American War and California becoming American territory.

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10 views2 pages

Manifest Destiny's Impact on California

The United States government and people were strongly interested in the region of California due to the belief in Manifest Destiny and desire to expand the nation westward. Richard Henry Dana's vivid description of California's fertile landscape and bountiful resources in his book Two Years Before the Mast further increased American interest in the region and belief that it should be part of the United States. The strategic location of California on the Pacific Coast was also a major factor in the government's interest in acquiring the territory, which eventually led to the Mexican-American War and California becoming American territory.

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origafelix
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© All Rights Reserved
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Interest in Manifest Destiny 1

Interest in Manifest Destiny

Thesis Statement: The United States government and American people were strongly

interested in the region of California due to Manifest Destiny and the belief that

American settlers had a right to expand and inhabit the area, as evident in Richard

Henry Dana's vivid description of the region in his book Two Years Before the Mast.

The United States government and American people were strongly interested in

the region of California due to the belief in Manifest Destiny and the desire to expand

the nation. Americans had a strong belief in Manifest Destiny, a term used to describe

the idea that the United States was destined to expand its borders from the Atlantic to

the Pacific Ocean. This idea was rooted in the Protestant concept of America being

God’s chosen nation, and the notion of the “American Dream” of citizens having the

freedom and opportunity to pursue their own success. As a result, many settlers from

the United States migrated to California to pursue their dreams of owning land and

becoming prosperous.

Additionally, Richard Henry Dana’s book Two Years Before the Mast provided an

intriguing description of California that further stimulated American’s interest in the

region. In his book, Dana wrote, “The country was one continued garden, in the highest

state of cultivation, and the most luxuriant fertility. The vineyards were loaded with

grapes; the fields with wheat, barley, and other grain; and the gardens with every kind of

fruit.” This vivid description of California not only increased Americans’ desire to settle in

the region, but also strengthened their belief that it should become part of the United

States.
Interest in Manifest Destiny 1

The United States government, in particular, was keenly interested in the region

due to its strategic location on the Pacific Coast. As President James K. Polk wrote in

his annual address to Congress in 1845, “It is manifest that our government must hold,

occupy and possess the country, which is now occupied by Mexico.” This sentiment

was echoed by other prominent American figures, including Andrew Jackson, who wrote

in 1841 that “the conquest of California is essential to our safety and prosperity.” The

United States government and American people were strongly interested in the region

of California due to the belief in Manifest Destiny and the desire to expand the nation.

This was particularly evident in Richard Henry Dana’s vivid description of the region in

his book Two Years Before the Mast, which further stimulated American’s interest in

California and strengthened their belief that it should become part of the United States.

The strategic location of the region on the Pacific Coast was also a major factor in the

government’s interest in acquiring California, which ultimately resulted in the Mexican-

American War and the transfer of the region to the United States.

Overall, Manifest Destiny, the influx of American settlers, and the vivid

description of California in Two Years Before the Mast played a significant role in the

United States government and American people’s interest in the region. This interest

ultimately resulted in the Mexican-American War and the transfer of California to the

United States.

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