The phrase "manifest destiny" is most often associated with the territorial expansion of the United States from 1812 to 1867. This era, from the War of 1812 to the acquisition of Alaska in 1867, has been called the "age of manifest destiny".

Manifest Destiny is defined as “the concept of American exceptionalism, that is, the belief that America occupies a special place among the countries of the world.” The Puritans came to America in 1630 believing that their survival in the new world would be a sign of God's approval.

There were three basic tenets to the concept: The special virtues of the American people and their institutions. The mission of the United States to redeem and remake the West in the image of the agrarian East. An irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty.

The ideology of Manifest Destiny inspired a variety of measures designed to remove or destroy the native population. US President James K. Polk (1845-1849) is the leader most associated with Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny inflamed sectional tensions over slavery, which ultimately led to the Civil War.

Questions to Think About Define "manifest destiny." What forces contributed to the commitment to American expansion? 2. Why did the United States go to war with Mexico?

Yet the dispute over the status of the new western territories regarding slavery disrupted the American political system by reviving arguments that shattered fragile compromises and inflamed sectional discord. In fact, those disputes brought the era of Manifest Destiny to an abrupt close.

New Manifest Destiny can refer to American expansionism beginning with the Spanish American War in 1898. America began to look outside of North America to colonize foreign peoples in order to establish new colonies abroad.