Question
Since the early 1800s Americans had pushed steadily westward, moving even beyond the territory of the United States. They traveled by canoe and flatboat, on horseback, and by wagon train. A few even walked much of the way. Some Americans believed it was the country's manifest destiny, or obvious fate, to move westward and settle land all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Writer John O'Sullivan coined the term in
1845. He wrote that it was America's "manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole continent which Providence [God] has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty.."
The initial rush to the West, however, had little to do with O'Sullivan's grand democratic experiment. Rather, one of its chief driving forces was a hat. The "high hat," made of water-repellent beaver fur, was popular in the United States and Europe. While acquiring fur for the hats, French, British, and American companies gradually killed off the beaver population in the East.
Companies moved west in search of more beavers.
Most of the first non-Native Americans who traveled to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest were fur traders and trappers.
In his writing, who did O'Sullivan believe was on the side of, and wanted America to stretch from one side of the continent to the other (Manifest Destiny)?
the American people
• God
• Native Americans
O the US government
1845. He wrote that it was America's "manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole continent which Providence [God] has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty.."
The initial rush to the West, however, had little to do with O'Sullivan's grand democratic experiment. Rather, one of its chief driving forces was a hat. The "high hat," made of water-repellent beaver fur, was popular in the United States and Europe. While acquiring fur for the hats, French, British, and American companies gradually killed off the beaver population in the East.
Companies moved west in search of more beavers.
Most of the first non-Native Americans who traveled to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest were fur traders and trappers.
In his writing, who did O'Sullivan believe was on the side of, and wanted America to stretch from one side of the continent to the other (Manifest Destiny)?
the American people
• God
• Native Americans
O the US government
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In his writing, John O'Sullivan believed that God was on the side of the American people and wanted America to stretch from one side of the continent to the other. He framed the concept of Manifest Destiny as a divine right or destiny granted by Providence (God) for America to expand across the continent.