What belief was behind Manifest Destiny?

Question

(1 point)

Native Americans would benefit from the introduction of the settlers’ American way of life.
Settlers would benefit from the exchange of ideas from Native Americans in the West.
Settlers and Native Americans should co-exist peacefully but separately and come into contact
as little as possible.
Native Americans and settlers could share the western land and work together to live in this
difficult area.

Answer 1

The belief behind Manifest Destiny was that it was the destiny of the United States to expand its territory across North America, which often included the notion that settlers and their way of life were superior. More specifically, the idea was that Americans were destined to spread democracy and capitalism across the continent. None of the provided options directly encapsulates this belief accurately, but the closest inference would be that settlers believed in the superiority of their way of life, leading to the marginalization of Native Americans rather than a belief in mutual coexistence or benefits to Native Americans.

However, if we interpret the question in the context of your provided options, none align perfectly with the historical understanding of Manifest Destiny, which was rooted in a belief of American superiority and a clear inclination towards expanding white settlement through possession of the land regardless of existing inhabitants.