In 1630, John Winthrop, writing decades before the 13 original colonies declared independence, said that the English men and women who hoped to settle New England 'shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a byword through the world' ( 2). This idea, with all the accompanying transformations of landscape, culture, and religious belief it implied, had deep roots in American culture. In simple terms, Manifest Destiny was the idea that Americans were destined, by God, to govern the North American continent.

Opponents to annexation, he argued, were trying to stop 'the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions' ( 1). It was in this climate that O'Sullivan wrote his column for the July-August edition of the Review. Sentiment for and against annexation reached fever pitch in 1845 and became a major feature of the presidential election campaigns of Henry Clay and James Polk.

(Mexico maintained that the region was Mexican territory.) For more than 20 years, Anglo-Americans had migrated into the region, bringing ever-increasing numbers of enslaved men and women with them, tying the region to the economics and politics of the U.S. recognized as independent of any other nation. Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.The term 'manifest destiny' was first used by journalist John O'Sullivan in the New York Democratic Review in 1845.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.

Manifest Destiny #10 by Chris Dingess