Manifest Destiny and Mission by Frederick Merk Essay

Manifest Destiny and Mission by Frederick Merk - Essay Example Writing in Democratic Review, on December 27, 1845, he used the term â€Å"Manifest Destiny†, to urge the United States to annex geographical areas, then under Britain and Spain, through out north of America. In the essay titled, â€Å"Annexations†, O’sullivan argued that God had destined the United States, to spread republican democracy, (â€Å"the great experiment of liberty†) through out North America. But O’ Sullivan can claim authorship only to the term, and not to the idea. The idea or concept was a general political sentiment campaigned for by the Democrats then. 2) EFFECT: Like its meaning , the effect of this concept in the history of the United States was also mono dimensional and expansionist, leading to the territorial expansion of the country during 1815 to 1860.The War of 1812 fought between the United States and the British Empire came to an end in 1815, with neither side gaining much. The period after the end of the war, up to 1860, had been called the â€Å"age of Manifest Destiny†. After this futile war, the United States adopted a new strategy for annexation of bordering territories. Settle down, out number the natives, index the boundaries—this was the new strategy. A typical example was the Mexican Cession. Mexico was a Spanish colony that got liberated in 1821.The new Mexican Empire inherited, Alta California, New Mexico and Texas from Spain. The new Government, virtually bankrupt and weak, was unable to control the northern territories of the country. These areas were thousands of miles away from the capital of Mexico City. Hence, the Mexican Govt. allowed a few American families to cross over and settle. What followed were huge American settlements in Texas, which became an American majority area. The Texans wanted to accede to the United States. This lead to the Texas revolution, (1835- 36) and Texas was declared as an independent republic. During the war, that