What Is Manifest Destiny? Definition, History, Causes, and Effects Explained

What is manifest destiny — 19th-century American settlers traveling westward across the frontier in covered wagons, with the Rocky Mountains in the background, representing the era of manifest destiny and westward expansion

What is manifest destiny? Simply put, it was the belief, held passionately by millions of 19th-century Americans, that the United States was divinely chosen to expand across the entire North American continent. Journalist John L. O’Sullivan coined the term in 1845, but the thinking behind it had been building for decades. It blended religious conviction, … Read more