Manifest Destiny was the belief that white people had a God-given right to expand westwards, and to settle the entire continent of North America. It was also viewed by many as a mission to civilise the 'savage' Native American tribes.

The journalist John L O'Sullivan coined the phrase in 1845 to encourage people to travel west.

Manifest Destiny was important for 6 reasons.

• ❖ It increased the size of the United States, as more people moved westward.
• ❖ Americans gained access to new resources, such as gold, which made the economy grow.
• ❖ It caused major unrest in the Native American tribes.
• ❖ It opened up new land for settling, which led to laws such as the Homestead Act of 1862.
• ❖ The idea that God wanted whites to settle the land made it easier for them to justify taking it from Native Americans.
• ❖ It was a major 'pull' factor in the expansion west.

The painting 'American Progress' from 1872 shows the American ideals of Manifest Destiny. The painting shows the many types of migrants, including farmers and miners, and it shows a female representation of 'progress' as the Americans move across to the West. It shows the introduction of telegraph poles and the railroad. The Native Americans, the buffalo herds, and wild animals are all being driven away by the white Americans.